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French Verbs
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Zoe Erotopoulos, PhD
Professor of French at Fairfield University
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French Verbs
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
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French Verbs
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Zoe Erotopoulos, PhD
Professor of French at Fairfield University
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French Verbs For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
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About the Author
Zoe Erotopoulos was born in Macedonia, Hellas (Greece) and immigrated to the United
States with her parents and brother at a young age. Her love of the French language and
literature inspired her to pursue her academic dream. She holds an MA, MPhil, and PhD in
French and Romance Philology from Columbia University in New York City. She has also
studied in Aix-en-Provence, at the Sorbonne, and at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris.
Her teaching experience in French ranges from elementary to advanced level courses, including literature and theater. Dr. Erotopoulos’ area of expertise is 17th century French Theater.
She has taught at a number of institutions, including Columbia University, Reid Hall in Paris,
and Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. For the past 15 years, she has been teaching
in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Fairfield University in Fairfield,
Connecticut. She serves as coordinator and supervisor of a number of teacher assistants each
year. Dr. Erotopoulos lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my family.
Author’s Acknowledgments
There are a great number of people I must thank for this joyous endeavor. First, I would like
to thank my parents, George and Olga Erotopoulos for their unwavering encouragement and
support, their sacrifice for a better future for their children, and their unconditional love. To
my brother Jim, my sister-in-law Alissa, and their beautiful twin daughters, I am so thankful
that you are a constant part of my life. A special thank you to my mother- and father-in-law,
to my husband Steve, and our beautiful children, Despina, Olga, and Stathi for their love and
support.
In addition, I would like to thank my colleagues at the Department of Modern Languages
and Literatures at Fairfield University for their encouragement, especially Dr. Marie-Agnès
Sourieau for her belief in me. Since teaching is also learning, I owe a big thank you to all my
students throughout my many years of teaching. A heartfelt thanks to Cynthia Nadal for her
insightful comments and suggestions. Last, but certainly not least, a special thank you to
the editorial staff at Wiley for their professionalism, insightfulness, and expertise, especially
to my project editor, Chad Sievers, acquisitions editor Tracy Boggier, and copy editor Sarah
Faulkner. A special thanks to this book’s technical editor, Joyce Roush, a French teacher at
Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana.
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at
www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction.................................................................................1
Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative..............5
Chapter 1: Verbs 101: The Lowdown on Verbs .........................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present Tense ................................................................17
Chapter 3: Knowing How to Handle Spelling-Change Verbs .................................................................29
Chapter 4: Wrestling with Some Irregular Conjugations .......................................................................43
Chapter 5: Reflecting on Pronominal Verbs (Reflexive, Reciprocal, and Idiomatic) .........................61
Chapter 6: Forming the Present Participle and the Gerund .................................................................69
Part II: Using Verbs Correctly with Questions,
Commands, and Such..................................................................77
Chapter 7: Inquisitive Minds Want to Know: Asking and Answering Questions ................................79
Chapter 8: Telling People What to Do: The Regular, Irregular, and Pronominal Commands............89
Chapter 9: Looking Forward and Back: The Immediate Future and Past..........................................101
Chapter 10: Correctly Using Often Misused Verbs in Daily Conversation ........................................109
Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tenses ............................119
Chapter 11: No Tense Is Perfect: The Imperfect Tense ......................................................................121
Chapter 12: Comprehending the Passé Composé and the Pluperfect Tenses .................................133
Chapter 13: Contrasting the Imperfect with the Passé Composé ......................................................153
Chapter 14: Deciphering the Literary Tenses: The Passé Simple and Passé Antérieur ..................163
Part IV: Looking Ahead: The Future and the Conditional Tenses ...171
Chapter 15: Moving Forward with the Future Tense ...........................................................................173
Chapter 16: Completing a Future Action with the Future Perfect......................................................183
Chapter 17: Could-ing and Would-ing with the Present Conditional Tense ......................................191
Chapter 18: Trying the Past Conditional Tense: Could Have and Would Have ................................201
Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not .....................209
Chapter 19: Creating the Present Subjunctive......................................................................................211
Chapter 20: Knowing How to Use the Present Subjunctive ................................................................223
Chapter 21: Forming and Using the Past Subjunctive .........................................................................237
Part VI: The Part of Tens...........................................................243
Chapter 22: Ten Verbs Used the French Way........................................................................................245
Chapter 23: Ten Most Frequently Mixed-Up Verbs ..............................................................................249
Part VII: Appendixes.................................................................255
Appendix A: French-to-English Verb Glossary......................................................................................257
Appendix B: English-to-French Verb Glossary......................................................................................263
Appendix C: Conjugating Common Irregular Verbs .............................................................................269
Index.......................................................................................283
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Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................1
About This Book.........................................................................................................................1
Conventions Used in This Book ...............................................................................................2
Foolish Assumptions .................................................................................................................2
How This Book Is Organized.....................................................................................................2
Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative ........................................3
Part II: Using Verbs Correctly with Questions, Commands, and Such ......................3
Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tenses...............................................................3
Part IV: Looking Ahead: The Future and the Conditional Tenses ..............................3
Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not ...................................................3
Part VI: The Part of Tens .................................................................................................3
Part VII: Appendixes ........................................................................................................4
Icons Used in This Book............................................................................................................4
Where to Go from Here..............................................................................................................4
Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative ..............5
Chapter 1: Verbs 101: The Lowdown on Verbs ..................................................................7
Identifying the Four Main Verb Types .....................................................................................7
Classifying Verbs ........................................................................................................................8
Contrasting transitive and intransitive verbs...............................................................8
Following up with a preposition.....................................................................................9
Linking, Auxiliary, Impersonal, and Helping Verbs, Oh My!................................................11
Linking everything together..........................................................................................11
Focusing on the auxiliaries ...........................................................................................11
Eyeing the impersonals .................................................................................................11
Lending a helping hand .................................................................................................12
Watching Your Mood ...............................................................................................................12
Making it personal..........................................................................................................12
Don’t take it so personally: The impersonal mood....................................................12
Categorizing the Tenses ..........................................................................................................13
Poring Over Pronouns .............................................................................................................13
Answer Key ...............................................................................................................................15
Chapter 2: Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present Tense........................................17
Classifying Regular Present-Tense Verbs ..............................................................................17
Looking At -er Verbs ................................................................................................................18
Focusing On -ir Verbs...............................................................................................................20
Trying -re Verbs ........................................................................................................................21
Modifying Actions with Adverbs............................................................................................23
Forming Sentences: Word by Word........................................................................................24
Answer Key ...............................................................................................................................26
Chapter 3: Knowing How to Handle Spelling-Change Verbs .......................................29
Taking a Stab at Spelling-Change Verbs.................................................................................29
Managing -ger verbs.......................................................................................................29
Working with -cer verbs.................................................................................................31
Keeping an eye on the silent types ..............................................................................32
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Handling é verbs.............................................................................................................34
Figuring out -eter and -eler verbs .................................................................................35
Dotting the i in -yer verbs..............................................................................................36
Building Sentences: Word by Word........................................................................................38
Answer Key ...............................................................................................................................40
Chapter 4: Wrestling with Some Irregular Conjugations..............................................43
Conjugating Irregular Verbs....................................................................................................43
Focusing on the four most common irregular verbs .................................................43
Working through other “helpful” irregular verbs.......................................................45
Grouping Irregular Verbs.........................................................................................................47
Looking at the “pseudo” -ir verbs ................................................................................47
The “wannabes”: -ir verbs acting like -er verbs..........................................................49
“Deceptive” -ir verbs: Same endings, different stem .................................................50
Comprehending irregular -re verbs..............................................................................51
Remembering the “mets” ..............................................................................................53
Continuing with irregular -re verbs..............................................................................54
Looking at other odd irregular verbs ..........................................................................55
Answer Key ...............................................................................................................................58
Chapter 5: Reflecting on Pronominal Verbs
(Reflexive, Reciprocal, and Idiomatic).............................................................................61
Understanding Reflexive Verbs ..............................................................................................61
Looking At Reciprocal Verbs ..................................................................................................64
Attempting Idiomatic Verbs....................................................................................................65
Answer Key ...............................................................................................................................68
Chapter 6: Forming the Present Participle and the Gerund ..........................................69
Introducing the Present Participle.........................................................................................69
Using the Present Participle ...................................................................................................70
Forming the Gerund.................................................................................................................71
Using the gerund ............................................................................................................71
Pronominal verbs: Corresponding to the subject......................................................72
Forming and Using the Past Present Participle....................................................................73
Answer Key ...............................................................................................................................75
Part II: Using Verbs Correctly with Questions,
Commands, and Such ..................................................................77
Chapter 7: Inquisitive Minds Want to Know:
Asking and Answering Questions.....................................................................................79
Using Inversion to Ask Questions ..........................................................................................80
Inversion with vowels ....................................................................................................80
Inversion with a noun ....................................................................................................81
Inversion with pronominal verbs .................................................................................81
Inversion with two verbs in a sentence.......................................................................82
Responding in the Negative ....................................................................................................83
Forming the Negative with Inversion ....................................................................................85
Making the Infinitive Negative ................................................................................................85
Answer Key ...............................................................................................................................87
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Chapter 8: Telling People What to Do: The Regular,
Irregular, and Pronominal Commands ..............................................................................89
Forming Commands with Regular Verbs...............................................................................89
Making -er verbs into commands.................................................................................89
Making -ir verbs into commands..................................................................................90
Making -re verbs into commands .................................................................................91
Forming Commands with Irregular Verbs .............................................................................92
Creating the Negative Imperative ..........................................................................................94
Using Pronominal Verbs to Make Commands ......................................................................95
Adding Pronouns to Commands ............................................................................................96
Answer Key ...............................................................................................................................99
Chapter 9: Looking Forward and Back: The Immediate Future and Past .................101
Creating the Immediate Future Tense .................................................................................101
Creating the Immediate Past Tense .....................................................................................102
Going and Coming with Aller and Venir ..............................................................................103
Going to and coming back...........................................................................................103
Going and coming from ...............................................................................................105
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................108
Chapter 10: Correctly Using Often Misused Verbs in Daily Conversation ...............109
Knowing the Difference between Connaître and Savoir....................................................109
Identifying What to Play ........................................................................................................111
Keeping Avoir and Faire in Line ...........................................................................................112
Using avoir ....................................................................................................................113
Trying faire ....................................................................................................................115
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................118
Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tenses .............................119
Chapter 11: No Tense Is Perfect: The Imperfect Tense ...............................................121
Making Regular Verbs Imperfect ..........................................................................................121
Forming the Imperfect with Irregular Verbs .......................................................................123
“Eyeing” verb stems .....................................................................................................125
Working with -cer and -ger verbs ...............................................................................125
The one true irregular imperfect verb — être ..........................................................126
Using the Imperfect................................................................................................................126
Expressing habitual and continuous actions............................................................127
Describing the past ......................................................................................................128
Interrupting actions in progress.................................................................................129
Using the imperfect with certain constructions ......................................................129
Describing simultaneous actions ...............................................................................129
Making suggestions and expressing wishes .............................................................130
Hypothesizing with the imperfect..............................................................................130
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................131
Chapter 12: Comprehending the Passé Composé and the Pluperfect Tenses.........133
Forming the Passé Composé ................................................................................................133
Regular verbs and the passé composé......................................................................134
Irregular verbs and the passé composé ....................................................................135
Making sure the past participle agrees with the preceding direct object ............138
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Creating the Passé Composé with Être ...............................................................................140
Making sure the subject and participle agree ..........................................................142
Forming the passé composé with pronominal verbs ..............................................143
Flexible Verbs: Using Either Avoir or Être...........................................................................146
Making the Passé Composé Negative ..................................................................................147
Forming the Pluperfect..........................................................................................................148
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................150
Chapter 13: Contrasting the Imperfect with the Passé Composé ..............................153
Identifying the Main Differences between the Two Tenses ..............................................153
Selecting the Right Tense: Imperfect or Passé Composé? ................................................155
Relying on helpful key words......................................................................................155
Eyeing verbs usually used with the imperfect .........................................................156
Looking at verbs that have different meanings
in imperfect and passé composé............................................................................157
Understanding the context .........................................................................................159
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................160
Chapter 14: Deciphering the Literary Tenses:
The Passé Simple and Passé Antérieur .........................................................................163
Creating the Passé Simple.....................................................................................................163
Regular verbs ................................................................................................................163
Most irregular verbs ....................................................................................................164
Irregular stem verbs with regular endings................................................................166
Completely irregular ....................................................................................................167
Creating the Passé Antérieur................................................................................................167
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................169
Part IV: Looking Ahead: The Future and the Conditional Tenses ....171
Chapter 15: Moving Forward with the Future Tense ....................................................173
Forming the Future of Regular Verbs...................................................................................173
Forming the Future of Spelling-Change Verbs ....................................................................175
Forming the Future of Irregular Verbs.................................................................................177
Identifying the Differences between English and
French when Using the Future Tense...............................................................................178
Expressing Yourself and Using References: Future Style ..................................................179
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................181
Chapter 16: Completing a Future Action with the Future Perfect ..............................183
Forming the Future Perfect...................................................................................................183
Using the Future Perfect Correctly ......................................................................................187
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................189
Chapter 17: Could-ing and Would-ing with the Present Conditional Tense ............191
Forming the Conditional .......................................................................................................191
Considering spelling-change -er verbs ......................................................................193
Creating the conditional with irregular verbs ..........................................................194
Using the Conditional ............................................................................................................195
Being polite, expressing a wish, and offering suggestions......................................196
Wondering if: The hypothetical ..................................................................................196
Conditional with indirect discourse ..........................................................................197
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................198
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Chapter 18: Trying the Past Conditional Tense: Could Have and Would Have ........201
Creating the Past Conditional...............................................................................................201
Correctly Using the Past Conditional ..................................................................................203
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................207
Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not......................209
Chapter 19: Creating the Present Subjunctive ..............................................................211
Forming the Present Subjunctive with Regular Verbs.......................................................211
Typically Irregular, but Regular in the Subjunctive ...........................................................213
Looking At Stem Changers....................................................................................................215
Eyeing the Irregulars..............................................................................................................218
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................221
Chapter 20: Knowing How to Use the Present Subjunctive........................................223
Expressing Wish, Will, Preference, and Command ............................................................224
Showing Emotion or Judgment ............................................................................................225
Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty ........................................................................................227
Showing Opinion, Necessity, and Possibility......................................................................228
Expressing Condition, Time, Concession, and Consequence ..........................................229
Considering Indefinite, Doubtful, and Subjective Antecedents .......................................231
Looking at Idiomatic Expressions and Commands............................................................232
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................234
Chapter 21: Forming and Using the Past Subjunctive..................................................237
Forming the Past Subjunctive...............................................................................................237
Using the Past Subjunctive ...................................................................................................238
Distinguishing between the Present and Past Subjunctive ..............................................239
Answer Key .............................................................................................................................241
Part VI: The Part of Tens ...........................................................243
Chapter 22: Ten Verbs Used the French Way .................................................................245
Attendre (To Wait For) ..........................................................................................................245
Chercher (To Look For).........................................................................................................245
Écouter (To Listen To)...........................................................................................................246
Payer (To Pay) ........................................................................................................................246
Regarder (To Look At, To Watch).........................................................................................246
Demander (To Ask)................................................................................................................246
Obéir (To Obey) .....................................................................................................................247
Permettre (To Allow) .............................................................................................................247
Répondre (To Answer) ..........................................................................................................247
Téléphoner (To Telephone, To Call)....................................................................................247
Chapter 23: Ten Most Frequently Mixed-Up Verbs.......................................................249
Visiting a Place or Visiting a Person ....................................................................................249
Spending Time or Spending Money .....................................................................................250
Knowing People or Places or Knowing Something ............................................................250
Playing a Game or Playing an Instrument ...........................................................................251
Leaving or Leaving Something Behind ................................................................................251
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Returning Home, Returning Something, or Just Returning ..............................................252
Leading, Bringing, or Taking Someone ................................................................................252
Carrying, Bringing, Taking, or Taking Back Something .....................................................253
Thinking or Thinking About..................................................................................................253
Waiting or Attending..............................................................................................................254
Part VII: Appendixes .................................................................255
Appendix A: French-to-English Verb Glossary..............................................................257
Appendix B: English-to-French Verb Glossary..............................................................263
Appendix C: Conjugating Common Irregular Verbs......................................................269
Index .......................................................................................283
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Introduction
E
very day when speaking your native language, you use verbs. When you want to walk to
the store, eat a pickle, run away from a dog, or even just be in the same room as your
pesky brother, you use verbs. You probably don’t even think about how you select the correct verb and the correct tense. However, when you’re studying a new language, these
choices may not be quite as intuitive. You need to know how to select the right tense and
how to conjugate verbs before you can correctly use them. That’s where this book fits in.
Whether you took French in high school or college, are currently taking it, or just know
enough to get you by, French Verbs For Dummies can guide you in using verb tenses correctly. (If you have very little familiarity with French, check out the “Foolish Assumptions”
section later in this Introduction to see whether this is really the book for you.) The concise
and clear explanations in addition to the multiple examples in this book can eliminate any
guesswork and show you how to form the various tenses step by step. Furthermore, I clearly
explain verb tenses and moods from the present indicative to the past subjunctive with
ample examples. French Verbs For Dummies isn’t a textbook, but a workbook where you
have a chance to practice the material in small doses. At the end of each chapter, I provide
an answer key so that you can check your answers as you go. These answers can provide
you with the certainty and confidence that you’re using all the verbs correctly.
So sit back and relax. This book is no boring grammar class. It’s a fun and straightforward
way to use French verbs in order to greet people, ask questions, give orders, provide explanations, and express your wishes. Ready? Commençons! (Let’s begin!)
About This Book
I designed this book to make it as accessible as possible. You can scan the Table of Contents
or the Index and choose the chapters that interest you the most. Each chapter is selfcontained, with an introduction of the verb tense and/or the verb mood as well as clear
explanations regarding the particular construction on which it focuses.
This book provides clear explanations and examples from the onset — from the subject
pronouns and forming hypothetical sentences to using the subjunctive correctly and confidently. You’re guided in distinguishing transitive from intransitive verbs, in recognizing and
using the various verb moods, such as indicative, conditional, and subjunctive; and you
become aware of the differences between using verbs in French and in English.
Furthermore, I divide each chapter into sections so that you can find the specific information you need, followed by exercises, which you can choose to do for practice. The practice
sections usually include fill-in-the-blank problems, questions where I ask you to conjugate
the verbs in parentheses, and translation sentences. Then, you can take a look at the
answer key at the end of each chapter to check your answers. French Verbs For Dummies
guides you every step of the way toward the successful use of the backbone of any complete sentence: the verb.
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French Verbs For Dummies
Conventions Used in This Book
In order to make this book easy to use, I use the following conventions:
In order for you to easily identify the French, I boldface all French words, including
the complete sentences in the examples, French verbs when they appear by
themselves, and the French verb endings when I show you how to conjugate the
verbs.
I italicize all the English translations that follow the French terms.
Verb conjugations appear in verb tables. I boldface each verb ending to emphasize it.
In the Answer Key, I provide English translations for all the problems (even when
I don’t ask you to provide the translation) to help you better understand the sentence. These translations are in italics.
In the Answer Key, some practice problems may have more than one correct
answer. I provide the most common answer in those instances.
Before each series of practice problems, I provide a sample question in a Q-and-A
format so that you can see how to answer those questions.
Foolish Assumptions
When writing this book, I made the following assumptions about you, my dear reader:
You took French classes way back when and you remember very little, but you
want to get a refresher on your verbs.
You want to gather the bits and pieces and assemble them and apply them to
regular, normal, everyday conversation.
You have taken quite a few years of French, but you’re still having difficulty distinguishing between the imperfect and the passé composé (or some other verb
tense that’s giving you headaches).
You finally want to demystify and master the subjunctive.
If any of these assumptions apply to you, then French Verbs For Dummies is for you.
However, if you’ve never taken a French course or know very little, I suggest that you
first start with French For Dummies by Dodi-Katrin Schmidt, Michelle M. Williams, and
Dominique Wenzel (Wiley) or consider enrolling in an introductory French class.
How This Book Is Organized
French Verbs For Dummies is divided into parts, starting with the very basic present
indicative tense and ending with the Appendixes. Each part has multiple chapters
that expand on the general topic of the specific part.
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Introduction
Part I: Living in the Here and Now:
The Present Indicative
This part introduces the subject pronouns and gives some basic verb information.
Furthermore, it introduces and conjugates the present tense of regular verbs,
spelling-change verbs, irregular verbs, and pronominal verbs. This part also introduces the present participle and gerund.
Part II: Using Verbs Correctly with
Questions, Commands, and Such
In this part, I show you how to ask and answer questions, give commands, and go
anywhere in or out of town and then come back. I also cover some verbs that you
can use in common expressions that have a different meaning in French.
Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tenses
This part introduces, forms, and explains the uses of the imperfect, passé composé,
and pluperfect tenses of regular, irregular, and pronominal verbs. It also explains the
difference between the imperfect and the passé composé in order to describe past
events and actions. Also included in this part are two literary past tenses: the passé
simple and the passé antérieur.
Part IV: Looking Ahead: The Future
and the Conditional Tenses
In this part, I show you how to form and use the future, the future perfect, the conditional, and past conditional tenses. I also explain how to make polite requests and
form hypothetical sentences.
Part V: Considering Your Mood:
Subjunctive or Not
This part looks at forming the present and past subjunctive of regular, irregular, and
pronominal verbs. It also explains step by step when and how to use the subjunctive
with certain verbs, verbal expressions, and conjunctions.
Part VI: The Part of Tens
Consisting of two chapters, this part gathers the top tens in French verbs: ten verbs
used the French way and the ten most frequently mixed-up verbs.
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French Verbs For Dummies
Part VII: Appendixes
The appendixes enable you to see at a glance all the various verb conjugations
together. It starts off with a French-to-English verb glossary (Appendix A), an Englishto-French verb glossary (Appendix B), and finishes with Appendix C for irregular
verbs.
Icons Used in This Book
As in every For Dummies book, I use icons to help you find specific information. I
place them on the left-hand margin throughout the book. The icons are
When you see this bulls-eye, you know I’m pointing out tips to help you grasp a specific concept.
The Remember icon indicates that you need to put this little tidbit in the back of your
mind. I’m telling you something important about the verb or verb conjugation.
I use the Example icon in front of an example that demonstrates the format of a
concept.
The Practice icon tells you that it’s time for you to start the practice exercises. Get
your pencils and pens ready.
Where to Go from Here
The best thing about French Verbs For Dummies is that you can take a look at the
Table of Contents and choose the chapter in which you’re interested or you need
more practice. Now take a chance and just give it a try. Only you know what you don’t
know. Just pick a chapter and go at your own pace. Remember, I’m with you every
step of the way!
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Part I
Living in the Here and Now:
The Present Indicative
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T
In this part . . .
he present indicative is a mood of fact, of something
that is happening. It’s a simple tense that tells you
about something that exists in the present, in the here and
now. In this part, I cover the present tense, including its
three distinct meanings in English. For example je parle
means I speak, I am speaking, and I do speak. All three
meanings are possible for all verbs in the present indicative
tense. In Chapter 2, I focus on regular present tense verbs.
In Chapter 3, I delve into spelling-change verbs. Chapter 4
jumps into irregular (but still fun) present tense verbs.
In Chapter 5, I explain pronominal verbs. Knowing the
conjugation of verbs in the present indicative can help you
form other tenses, such as the imperfect, the subjunctive,
and the present participle. And finally, in Chapter 6, if you’re
having trouble with present participles or gerunds, this
chapter can help.
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Chapter 1
Verbs 101: The Lowdown on Verbs
In This Chapter
Looking at and classifying verbs
Identifying transitive and intransitive verbs
Considering mood
Recognizing the tenses
Eyeing pronouns
W
hether you’re speaking English, German, Spanish, or French (just to mention a few
languages), a verb is an important word that indicates an action (for example, Je
parle means I am speaking, I speak, and I do speak) or a state of being (for example, Je suis
optimiste means I am optimistic). The verb is an essential component in a sentence because
the sentence is incomplete without it. Verbs are the only words that change their forms in
order to indicate the present, the future, and the past. A verb can also have several complements or provide further information. It can be followed by a noun, an adverb, a preposition,
or a clause. It can also be followed by another verb, which is always in the infinitive form.
This chapter looks at the verb basics. I classify verbs, show how those classifications affect
the way you use a verb, explain how mood impacts verbs, and look at the different verb
tenses. This chapter can answer any quick questions you have about verbs before I go into
the specifics in each chapter.
Identifying the Four Main Verb Types
A good way to remember various verb conjugations is by classifying the verbs. For example,
if a verb is regular, check to see whether its infinitive ends in -er, -ir, or -re. This ending can
help you follow a set pattern in conjugating the verb. Remember, if you know how to conjugate one verb in each of the three groups of regular verbs, then you know how to conjugate
hundreds of verbs. The following four classifications help you identify the type of verb and
enable you to conjugate it correctly.
Regular verbs: These verbs shouldn’t cause any undue stress. They follow the regular
conjugation rules for -er, -ir, and -re verbs, which are the three groups of regular verbs.
(Check out Chapter 2 for the lowdown on present-tense regular verbs.)
Spelling-change verbs: When studying French verbs, you encounter some verbs that
undergo spelling changes. This spelling change happens for many reasons. One reason
is to enable you to pronounce a mute e, as in the verbs appeler (to call) and jeter (to
throw), which double their consonants (l or t) after the mute e. For other verbs, you
add an accent grave to the e so it becomes è, as in the verb acheter (to buy). Other
verbs are affected because of the pronunciation of the consonant — specifically g and
c. (Flip to Chapter 3 for more on spelling-change verbs.)
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Irregular verbs: With these verbs you need to keep on your toes. They have an
irregular conjugation and don’t follow a specific pattern like regular verbs do.
(See Chapter 4 for more on these irregular verbs.)
Pronominal verbs: These include reflexive verbs, and you use these verbs when
you do something to yourself. The action reflects back to the subject of the
sentence. For example, Je me brosse les dents means I brush my teeth. Other
pronominal verbs include reciprocal verbs where two or more people do the
action onto themselves. For example, Ils s’écrivent means They write to each
other. Some idiomatic expressions also use pronominal verbs. For example, Nous
nous entendons bien means We get along well. The one thing that all these verbs
have in common is the addition of pronominal pronouns that correspond to the
subject pronouns. (Check out Chapter 5 for more on pronominal verbs.)
Classifying Verbs
Classifying a verb as a particular verb type can help you conjugate the verb correctly
every time. Look at the ending of its infinitive form. Does the infinitive end in an -er,
-ir, or -re? Does it end in a -cer or a -ger? Is the verb a spelling-change verb? Is the
infinitive preceded by a pronominal pronoun? (The answers to all these questions
are answered in Chapters 2, 3, and 4 where I give you specific examples of conjugation patterns followed by a list of verbs that follow that exact pattern.) Another
important way to classify verbs is to determine whether they’re transitive or intransitive. In order to do so, determine whether they’re followed by a preposition or by a
direct object.
This section looks a bit closer at how you classify verbs, specifically noting whether a
verb is transitive or intransitive as well as the different ways they are used in English
and in French.
Contrasting transitive and intransitive verbs
Knowing whether a verb is transitive or intransitive enables you to use the verb correctly every time. It guides you in using a preposition after the verb or in eliminating
the preposition altogether. Furthermore, the identification between a transitive and
an intransitive verb also facilitates the choice between the auxiliaries avoir (to have)
or être (to be) in the compound past tenses. In this section, I show you how to tell
transitive and intransitive verbs apart.
Transitive verbs are followed be a direct object rather than a preposition. They take
avoir as their auxiliary in the compound past tenses.
Je regarde la télévision. (I am watching television.)
Ils aiment leurs enfants. (They love their children.)
An intransitive verb isn’t followed by a direct object. Often it’s followed by a preposition or nothing at all.
Je monte. (I am going upstairs.)
Nous passons devant la bibliothèque. (We are passing in front of the library.)
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Chapter 1: Verbs 101: The Lowdown on Verbs
You must be aware of verbs that may be transitive in French but intransitive in
English, and vice versa. For example, in French, the verb to answer is intransitive
because it must be followed by the preposition à, as in Je réponds à la question.
However, in English, you say I answer the question, and therefore to answer is transitive in English.
As another example, in English you say I listen to the radio. This sentence indicates
that the verb to listen to is an intransitive verb in English because it isn’t followed by a
direct object but by the preposition to. In French, however, J’écoute la radio indicates that the verb écouter is a transitive verb because it’s followed by a direct
object. Keep an eye out for the potentially tricky verbs in Table 1-1 and Table 1-2.
Table 1-1
Comparing Transitive to Intransitive
Transitive in French
Intransitive in English
attendre
J’attends le bus.
to wait for
I am waiting for the bus.
chercher
Je cherche le livre.
to look for
I am looking for the book.
écouter
J’écoute le professeur.
to listen to
I am listening to the professor.
payer
Je paie les provisions.
to pay for something
I am paying for the groceries.
Table 1-2
Comparing Intransitive to Transitive
Intransitive in French
Transitive in English
demander à
Je demande de l’argent à mon père.
to ask someone
I ask my dad for money.
obéir à
Les enfants obéissent à leurs parents.
to obey someone
The children obey their parents.
renoncer à
Tu renonces à la télévision.
to give up something
You are giving up television.
ressembler à
Il ressemble à sa mère.
to resemble someone
He resembles his mother.
assister à
Nous assistons au concert.
to attend an event
We are attending the concert.
Following up with a preposition
Most French intransitive verbs are followed by the preposition à, which can mean to,
in, or at. When the preposition à is followed by a definite article plus a noun (le for
the masculine singular, la for the feminine singular, l’ for masculine and feminine
nouns that begin with a vowel or a mute h, and les for masculine and feminine plural
nouns), two contractions are made. Table 1-3 explains these two contractions.
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Table 1-3
Combining Definite Articles with the Preposition à
Preposition + Article
Combination
Example
à + le
au
Je réponds au professeur. (I’m answering
the professor.)
à + la
à la
Je réponds à la question. (I’m answering
the question.)
à + l’
à l’
Je réponds à l’étudiant. (I’m answering the
student.)
à + les
aux
Je réponds aux questions. (I’m answering
the questions.)
Notice that the only combinations that contract are à + le, which becomes au and à +
les, which becomes aux. The same types of transformations occur with the preposition de, which means of, about, or from, as Table 1-4 indicates.
Table 1-4
Combining Definite Articles with the Preposition de
Preposition + Article
Combination
Example
de + le
du
Il vient du cinéma. (He’s coming [back]
from the movies.)
de + la
de la
ll vient de la librairie. (He’s coming [back]
from the bookstore.)
de + l’
de l’
Il vient de l’épicerie. (He’s coming [back]
from the grocery store.)
Il vient de l’hôtel. (He’s coming [back] from
the hotel.)
de + les
des
Il vient des champs. (He’s coming [back]
from the fields.)
Identify the transitive and intransitive verbs in the following questions. If the verb is
intransitive, add the preposition à and make any necessary contractions with the definite article. If it’s transitive, leave it alone.
Q. Tu renonces _________________ chocolat. (You are giving up chocolate.)
A. Tu renonces au chocolat.
1. Nous écoutons _________________ la radio. (We listen to the radio.)
2. Ils ressemblent _________________ leur mère. (They resemble their mother.)
3. J’obéis _________________ mes grands-parents. (I obey my grandparents.)
4. Vous attendez _________________ le train. (You wait/are waiting for the train.)
5. Tu cherches _________________ tes clés. (You are looking for your keys.)
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Chapter 1: Verbs 101: The Lowdown on Verbs
6. Nous assistons _________________ match de football. (We attend/are attending a soccer
game.)
7. Je réponds _________________ mes amis. (I answer my friends.)
8. Tu paies _________________ tes achats. (You pay/are paying for your purchases.)
9. Elle demande _________________ ses amis de sortir. (She asks her friends to go out.)
10. Nous renoncons _________________ la glace. (We give up/are giving up ice cream.)
Linking, Auxiliary, Impersonal,
and Helping Verbs, Oh My!
Verbs have many different functions. Besides being the core of a sentence, verbs dictate what you need to bring a sentence to its conclusion. They can be followed by
another verb, a noun, a pronoun, an adjective, a preposition, or a clause. Some verbs
link the subject to nouns, pronouns, or adjectives. Auxiliary verbs help form all compound past tenses in French. Some verbs exist only in the impersonal il (it) form, and
others help emphasize and support the infinitive. Oh, the versatility of verbs!
Linking everything together
Some verbs are linking verbs, which means that they link the subject to the noun, to
the pronoun, or to the adjective. These verbs include être (to be), paraître (to
appear), sembler or avoir l’air (to seem), devenir (to become), and rester (to stay).
Il a l’air fatiqué. (He seems tired.)
Elle est avocate. (She is a lawyer.)
Focusing on the auxiliaries
The French language has two main auxiliary verbs: avoir (to have) and être (to be).
You use them along with past participles to form all compound past tenses in French.
Check out Part III for more on the past tenses and how to use these auxiliaries.
Eyeing the impersonals
Impersonal verbs are the ones that exist only in the third person masculine singular
(il) form. In this form, the subject pronoun is always translated as it in English. These
verbs include expressions like il faut (it is necessary), il s’agit de (it is about), il pleut
(it is raining), il neige (it is snowing), and il fait used for weather. Examples include il
fait beau (it is nice out), il fait froid (it is cold), and il fait chaud (it is hot). Furthermore,
French has many impersonal expressions, many of which use être (to be) and are followed by the subjunctive tense, like il est important que (it is important that), il est
possible que (it is possible that), il est nécessaire que (it is necessary that), and so on.
Look at Chapter 19 for a list of these expressions.
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Lending a helping hand
Some verbs are semi-auxiliaries. That means that they are helping verbs to the main
verb, which is in the infinitive form. These verbs include pouvoir (to be able to),
vouloir (to want to), devoir (to have to), aller (to go), faire (to do, to make), and
laisser (to leave — as in leave it alone or let it be).
Watching Your Mood
Verbs are divided into various moods. Linguistically, the mood of a verb is a way of
expressing oneself, or a way of speaking. A mood shows the speaker’s attitude toward
an event. The French language has seven such moods that are divided into two categories: personal moods and impersonal moods.
Making it personal
The verbs in the personal moods are conjugated in order to correspond to the subject
pronouns. These are divided into four groups:
The indicative mood (which is the mood that’s used most often) indicates that
the speaker is talking about a fact, or something that’s happening, will happen,
or has happened. (See Parts I, II, and III for more on the conjugations of the various tenses of the indicative mood.)
The subjunctive mood (which you use more often in French than in English) is
the mood of doubt, uncertainty, emotion, will, and command. (See Chapters 19,
20, and 21 for more details on the present and past subjunctive.)
The imperative mood expresses an order, a request, or a directive. The imperative mood uses the present tense of most verbs and the conjugations of the following three subject pronouns: tu, nous, and vous. However, you never use the
subject pronouns in an imperative construction. (See Chapter 8 for the formations and use of the imperatives or commands.)
The conditional mood appears in a hypothetical sentence where you place the
conditional form of the verb in the result clause. For example, you may say Si
j’avais de l’argent, je voyagerais. (If I had money, I would travel.) You may also
use the conditional to make polite requests or suggestions. (See Chapters 17 and
18 for more on the present and past conditional tenses as well as the hypothetical
sentences.)
Don’t take it so personally:
The impersonal mood
Unlike the personal moods, the impersonal mood verbs aren’t conjugated because
they don’t correspond to any particular subject pronoun. These impersonal mood
verbs include the infinitive, the gerund, and the participle. The infinitive mood is
often used as a noun. An example is in the French saying Vouloir, c’est pouvoir,
which translates to Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Literally, it means To want to
is to be able to. The gerund can be used as an adverb, like it is in the sentence On
réussit à la vie en travaillant dur, meaning One succeeds in life by working hard.
The participle can be used as an adjective, as in the example Les devoirs finis, ils ont
joué au basket, which means Once the homework was finished, they played basketball.
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Chapter 1: Verbs 101: The Lowdown on Verbs
Categorizing the Tenses
Tense means time, and verbs change their forms in order to tell present, past, or
future time. Verbs have two parts, the stem and the endings that specify time, mood,
and person.
French has two types of verbs:
Simple verbs. A simple verb is formed when a verb is conjugated by itself without an auxiliary. It’s composed of a stem to which you add endings. The present,
the imperfect, the passé simple, the future, the present conditional, and the present subjunctive are all simple tenses.
Elle partira bientôt. (She will leave soon.)
Compound tenses. You construct these verbs with an auxiliary, either avoir (to
have) or être (to be), plus the past participle of any verb you wish. The passé
composé, the pluperfect, the passé antérieur, the future perfect, the past conditional, and the past subjunctive are all compound tenses.
Vous avez téléphoné hier. (You called yesterday.)
Poring Over Pronouns
Every conjugated verb corresponds to a subject that makes a sentence complete. The
subject can be a person, a thing, or an idea. You can see the subject pronoun classifications in Table 1-5.
Table 1-5
Subject Pronoun Classifications
Subject Pronoun Classification
Singular Subject Pronouns
Plural Subject Pronouns
First Person
je (I)
nous (we)
Second Person
tu (you)
vous (you)
Third Person
il/elle/on (he/she/it or one)
ils/elles (they)
When a verb begins with a vowel or a mute h, drop the e from je and add an apostrophe.
J’aime (I like, I love)
J’habite (I live)
Remember that you never drop the u in tu (you) or the e in elle (she) before a vowel
or a mute h. Instead you say Tu aimes (You like, You love) and Tu habites (You live).
Tu and vous both mean you, and as you can see from Table 1-5, tu is singular whereas
vous is plural. But as you probably already know, vous can also refer to one person
when it’s formal. You use tu with people you know well, like family members, peers,
and children. You use vous with someone you don’t know well, with someone who is
older, and with a superior, like your boss, your teacher, or your supervisor. Note that
even when vous refers to one person, you always conjugate the verb in the plural. In
other words, the conjugation of vous doesn’t change even if it refers to one person.
Grammatically, you always conjugate it in the second person plural.
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
On is a subject pronoun that has several meanings. In the sentence On parle français
au Canada, the word on can mean one, we, or they, so you translate the sentence
One/We/They speak French in Canada. Whatever the meaning, conjugate on in the
third person singular.
Il is a masculine subject pronoun that can replace a person or a thing, and it means
he or it. For example, Pierre est heureux means Pierre is happy. You can replace
Pierre with il, and it means He is happy. The same concept applies with a thing. Le
vent souffle means The wind is blowing. You can replace le vent with the subject pronoun il, which means It is blowing.
The same applies to elle, which replaces a feminine singular noun. For example, you
can say Anne est avocate (Anne is a lawyer) or Elle est avocate (She is a lawyer). In
the sentence La voiture est sale (The car is dirty), you can replace voiture with elle
because it’s feminine singular. Elle est sale means It is dirty.
Again, the same is true of the plurals ils and elles. They can refer to people or things.
Les invités sont arrivés (The guests have arrived), Ils sont arrivés (They have
arrived)
Les livres sont chers (The books are expensive), Ils sont chers (They are expensive)
Les filles sont jeunes (The girls are young), Elles sont jeunes (They are young)
Les cathédrales sont impréssionantes (The cathedrals are impressive), Elles sont
impréssionantes (They are impressive)
Change the following boldfaced subjects into their corresponding subject pronouns.
Write your answer in the blank at the end of the sentence.
Q. Céline est charmante. (Céline is charming.)
A. Elle est charmante. (She is charming.)
11. Eric et Mathieu jouent au football. (Eric and Mathieu play soccer.) _________________
12. Anne et moi aimons la cuisine française. (Anne and I like French cuisine.)
_________________
13. Sylvie chante bien. (Sylvie sings well.) _________________
14. Mélanie et Sarah aiment le chocolat. (Mélanie and Sarah like chocolate.)
_________________
15. Benjamin parle japonais. (Benjamin speaks Japanese.) _________________
16. Alexandre et Sophie invitent leurs amis. (Alexandre and Sophie invite their friends.)
_________________
17. Olivier travaille dans une banque. (Olivier works in a bank.) _________________
18. Hélène et Antoine partent en vacances. (Hélène and Antoine are leaving for vacation.)
_________________
19. Claire habite à Bordeaux. (Claire lives in Bordeaux.) _________________
20. Suzanne et Margot sont de bonnes amies. (Suzanne and Margot are good friends.)
_________________
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Chapter 1: Verbs 101: The Lowdown on Verbs
Answer Key
This section includes the answers from the practice problems in this chapter. Look at
the correct answers and compare your answers.
a
Nous écoutons la radio. (We listen to the radio.)
b
Ils ressemblent à leur mère. (They resemble their mother.)
c
J’obéis à mes grands-parents. (I obey my grandparents.)
d
Vous attendez le train. (You wait/are waiting for the train.)
e
Tu cherches tes clés. (You are looking for your keys.)
f
Nous assistons au match de football. (We attend/are attending a soccer game.)
g
Je réponds à mes amis. (I answer my friends.)
h
Tu paies tes achats. (You pay/are paying for your purchases.)
i
Elle demande à ses amis de sortir. (She asks her friends to go out.)
j
Nous renoncons à la glace. (We give up/are giving up ice cream.)
k
Ils jouent au football. (They play soccer.)
l
Nous aimons la cuisine française. (We like French cuisine.)
m
Elle chante bien. (She sings well.)
n
Elles aiment le chocolat. (They like chocolate.)
o
Il parle japonais. (He speaks Japanese.)
p
Ils invitent leurs amis. (They invite their friends.)
q
Il travaille dans une banque. (He works in a bank.)
r
Ils partent en vacances. (They are leaving for vacation.)
s
Elle habite à Bordeaux. (She lives in Bordeaux.)
t
Elles sont de bonnes amies. (They are good friends.)
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
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Chapter 2
Conjugating Regular Verbs
in the Present Tense
In This Chapter
Categorizing French verbs
Creating present-tense -er, -ir, and -re verbs
Including adverbs
Making complete sentences
I
n French, you use the present tense in everyday conversation. In fact, it’s the building
block in forming sentences and expressing thoughts. You use the present tense to communicate things that are happening in your life, your job, and the world around you in the
here and now. You also use the present tense to express ongoing actions in the present and
to emphasize actions.
The present tense in French has three different meanings in English. For example, Je parle
means not only I speak, but also I am speaking and I do speak. You can also use the present
tense to express actions that you repeat over and over again. For instance, Nous travaillons
le samedi means We work on Saturdays, meaning that we work every Saturday and therefore
it expresses habitual action in the present. In French, the present tense is important because
the stem of other tenses, such as the imperfect and the subjunctive, are derived from it.
In this chapter, I focus on conjugating this basic building block — the present tense. I first
briefly classify the three regular types of verbs, and then I show you how to conjugate each
one. Finally, I throw in some adverbs to help you make complete (and interesting) sentences.
Classifying Regular Present-Tense Verbs
The French language classifies verbs into different categories to make them easier to conjugate. For example, if you know the conjugation of one verb, then you can conjugate many
verbs of the same type effortlessly because they follow the same pattern. Verbs are classified according to the endings of their infinitive. All French verb infinitives end in -er, -ir, -re,
or -oir. However, within those four categories are regular and irregular verbs. This chapter
focuses on the regular ones.
French has three groups of regular verbs:
Verbs whose infinitive ends in -er, like parler (to speak)
Verbs whose infinitive ends in -ir, like finir (to finish)
Verbs whose infinitive ends in -re, like vendre (to sell)
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
The next three sections focus on each individual group of regular verbs. If you can
master the conjugation of regular verbs, you’ll be able to express yourself in everyday
situations. When you speak to your friends, when you wait for the train, when you
buy groceries, or when you visit your relatives, you use common, regular presenttense verbs.
Looking At -er Verbs
The -er verbs are the most common group of French verbs. But knowing this interesting bit of trivia can’t help you correctly conjugate these verbs. Don’t worry — in this
section, I show you how to conjugate the present tense of -er verbs. This information
can help you conjugate hundreds of -er verbs.
The verb parler (to speak) serves as an example in this group. Take parler and drop
the -er, which leaves you with the stem (parl-). Then add the appropriate ending (-e,
-es, -e, -ons, -ez, or -ent) depending on the subject pronoun. For example, if you start a
sentence with je (I), and you have an -er verb, you need the -e ending.
Use the following table to correctly conjugate a regular present tense -er verb.
Regular Present Tense -er Verb Endings
je -e
nous -ons
tu -es
vous -ez
il/elle/on -e
ils/elles -ent
The present-tense conjugations for a regular -er verb such as parler (to speak) are as
follows:
parler (to speak)
je parle
nous parlons
tu parles
vous parlez
il/elle/on parle
ils/elles parlent
Je parle français. (I speak French, I am speaking French, or I do speak French.)
This pattern applies to all regular -er verbs. Table 2-1 lists some common -er verbs
that you may encounter in everyday life when speaking French. (You can also check
out Appendix A for more regular -er verbs.)
Table 2-1
Common Regular -er Verbs
-er Verb
Translation
adorer
to adore
aimer
to like, to love
arriver
to arrive
chanter
to sing
chercher
to look for
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Chapter 2: Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
-er Verb
Translation
danser
to dance
demander
to ask
écouter
to listen to
enseigner
to teach
étudier
to study
habiter
to live (somewhere)
jouer
to play
jouer à
to play a sport or game
jouer de
to play an instrument
marcher
to walk
regarder
to watch/look at
rencontrer
to meet
téléphoner
to call
tomber
to fall
travailler
to work
trouver
to find
visiter
to visit (a place, not people)
If the verb begins with a vowel or a mute h, drop the e of je and add an apostrophe.
For example, j’aime (I like/love) or j’habite (I live). However, the u in tu is never
dropped, so you still have tu aimes or tu habites. And don’t forget that the present
tense has three different meanings in English. Je chante means I sing, I do sing, and
I am singing.
Now it’s your turn. In each blank, provide the correct conjugation of the verbs in
parentheses. In the example and the following questions, use the corresponding endings for each subject pronoun. (I provide an English translation in the answers.)
Q. Tu _________________ (aimer) le théâtre.
A. Tu aimes le théâtre. (You like the theater.)
1. Mon père _________________ (travailler).
2. Nous _________________ (jouer) au tennis.
3. Le chœur _________________ (chanter).
4. Ils _________________ (habiter) à Boston.
5. Tu _________________ (chercher) les billets.
6. Les enfants _________________ (regarder) la télévision.
7. J’ _________________ (adorer) le chocolat.
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
8. Ma mère _________________ (écouter) la radio.
9. Nous _________________ (étudier) le français.
10. Mes amis _________________ (chercher) un appartement.
Focusing On -ir Verbs
The second group of French verbs, the -ir verbs, is just as easy to form in the present
as the -er verbs. You don’t have to be a native to figure out these conjugations. The -ir
verbs can help you choose (choisir), succeed (réussir), and even grow old gracefully
(vieillir).
To form the present tense for -ir verbs, simply drop the final r of the infinitive and add
the following endings to the stem:
Regular Present Tense -ir Verb Endings
je -s
nous -ssons
tu -s
vous -ssez
il/elle/on -t
ils/elles -ssent
The present-tense conjugations for a regular -ir verb such as finir (to finish) are as
follows:
finir (to finish)
je finis
nous finissons
tu finis
vous finissez
il/elle/on finit
ils/elles finissent
Je finis mes devoirs. (I finish my homework,
I am finishing my homework, I do finish my homework.)
Table 2-2 lists some common -ir verbs you may encounter when speaking French.
No matter what verb you choose from this list, take it and try out the present tense
conjugation.
Table 2-2
Common Regular -ir Verbs
-ir Verb
Translation
applaudir
to applaud
bâtir
to build
choisir
to choose
établir
to establish
finir
to finish
grandir
to grow (up)
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Chapter 2: Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
-ir Verb
Translation
grossir
to gain weight
maigrir
to lose weight
obéir à
to obey
pâlir
to turn pale
punir
to punish
réagir
to react
réfléchir à
to reflect, to think (about)
remplir
to fill
réunir
to unite, to gather, to assemble, to meet
réussir (à)
to succeed (in)/to pass a test
vieillir
to grow old
If you’re ready to try for yourself, check out the example, and then move on to the
questions that follow. In the first blank for each question, write the correct conjugated form of the verb in parentheses.
Q. Les enfants _________________ (grandir).
A. Les enfants grandissent. (Children grow up.)
11. Il _________________ (grossir).
12. Nous _________________ (applaudir).
13. On _________________ (obéir) aux lois (the laws).
14. Tu _________________ (choisir) le champagne.
15. Les ingénieurs _________________ (bâtir) un pont.
16. Je _________________ (réfléchir).
17. Vous _________________ (pâlir).
18. Nous _________________ (réunir) les pièces du puzzle.
19. Les enfants _________________ (finir) leurs devoirs.
20. Tu _________________ (réussir).
Trying -re Verbs
The third and final group of regular verbs is the -re group. This verb form is also easy
to conjugate. Just drop the -re from the infinitive and add the appropriate endings to
the stem. The following conjugation chart shows what I mean.
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Regular Present Tense -re Verb Endings
je -s
nous -ons
tu -s
vous -ez
il/elle/on (nothing)
ils/elles -ent
You don’t add any endings to the third person singular il, elle, or on. The stem is
enough. For example, il attend means he waits, he’s waiting, or he does wait.
The present tense conjugations for a regular -re verb such as vendre (to sell) are as
follows:
vendre (to sell)
je vends
nous vendons
tu vends
vous vendez
il/elle/on vend
ils/elles vendent
Je vends la maison. (I sell the house, I’m selling the house, I do sell the house.)
Table 2-3 provides some more examples of common -re verbs that are conjugated
exactly like vendre.
Table 2-3
Common Regular -re Verbs
-re Verbs
Translation
attendre
to wait for
descendre
to go down (the stairs)
entendre
to hear
fondre
to melt
pendre
to hang
perdre
to lose, to waste time
rendre
to give back, to return
rendre visite à quelqu’un
to pay a visit to someone (to visit someone)
répondre à
to answer
Conjugate the -re verbs in parentheses. I show you how in the example. (I give you a
translation in the answer to help you out.)
Q. Je _________________ (attendre).
A. J’attends. (I wait, I am waiting, I do wait.)
21. Nous _________________ (répondre) aux questions.
22. Tu _________________ (pendre) les vêtements.
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Chapter 2: Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
23. La neige _________________ (fondre) lentement.
24. Je _________________ (rendre) visite à ma tante.
25. Ils _________________ (entendre) les cloches.
26. Françoise _________________ (descendre).
27. Le professeur _________________ (rendre) les compositions.
28. Tu _________________ (perdre) ton temps.
29. Vous _________________ (attendre) vos amis.
30. Les étudiants _________________ (vendre) leur livre.
Modifying Actions with Adverbs
You can make all the verbs in this chapter more interesting by adding adverbs and
placing them after the verb. To add an adverb to a sentence, just conjugate the verb
and place an adverb after it. Think of how you can do something frequently, often,
sometimes, rarely, and so on.
Il parle constamment. (He is constantly talking or he talks constantly.)
Table 2-4 provides some of the more commonly used adverbs with the present tense.
Table 2-4
Present-Tense Adverbs
Adverb
Translation
absolument
absolutely
assez
enough
attentivement
attentively
beaucoup
a lot
bien
well
constamment
constantly
facilement
easily
fréquemment
frequently
lentement
slowly
mal
poorly, badly
parfois
at times
peu
little
quelquefois
sometimes
rarement
rarely
(continued)
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Table 2-4 (continued)
Adverb
Translation
sérieusement
seriously
souvent
often
toujours
always
trop
too much
vite
quickly
vraiment
truly
It’s your turn. Find and conjugate the French verb correctly and add the appropriate
adverb after you consult the English translation, just like in the example.
Q. Federer __________________________________ au tennis. (Federer plays tennis well.)
A. Federer joue bien au tennis.
31. L’étudiant __________________________________. (The student listens attentively.)
32. Mon frère __________________________________. (My brother studies little.)
33. Je __________________________________. (I go down the stairs quickly.)
34. Nous __________________________________ ce restaurant. (We often choose this
restaurant.)
35. Les ouvriers __________________________________. (The workers work too much.)
36. Ma sœur __________________________________. (My sister talks constantly.)
37. Tu __________________________________. (You hear well.)
38. Ma collègue __________________________________ la radio. (My colleague always listens
to the radio.)
39. Je __________________________________ à mes messages. (I sometimes answer my
messages.)
40. Ils __________________________________ en retard. (They rarely finish late.)
Forming Sentences: Word by Word
When forming sentences, identifying the type of verb you’re using is important. Look
at the ending of the regular verb. Is it an -er, -ir, or -re verb? The answer is important
because it allows you to follow a specific pattern. After you determine what type of
verb you have, then you conjugate it the same way as one of the example verbs in
this chapter. If it’s an -er verb, conjugate it like parler; an -ir verb, conjugate it like
finir; or an -re verb, conjugate it like vendre.
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Chapter 2: Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
Make sure that the verb endings correspond to the subject that you choose. Remember
that nous endings always end in -ons, vous in -ez, and ils/elles end in -ent for all regular verbs. After you check your subject and verb, add an adverb of your choice, and
voilà, you’ve formed a sentence.
Put the following fragments into complete French sentences.
Q. Tu/réussir/toujours
__________________________________________________________________________________
A. Tu réussis toujours. (You always succeed.)
41. Il/jouer/bien
__________________________________________________________________________________
42. Nous/attendre/fréquemment
__________________________________________________________________________________
43. Ils/perdre/rarement
__________________________________________________________________________________
44. Elle/écouter/attentivement
__________________________________________________________________________________
45. Tu/étudier/beaucoup
__________________________________________________________________________________
46. Nous/manger/assez
__________________________________________________________________________________
47. Je/choisir/bien
__________________________________________________________________________________
48. Elles/réagir/mal
__________________________________________________________________________________
49. Nous/répondre/sérieusement
__________________________________________________________________________________
50. Tu/travailler/constamment
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Answer Key
In this section you can find the answers to all the practice problems in this chapter.
(Remember that the present tense in French has three different meanings in English.)
How did you do?
a
Mon père travaille. (My father is working.)
b
Nous jouons au tennis. (We play tennis.)
c
Le chœur chante. (The choir is singing.)
d
Ils habitent à Boston. (They live in Boston.)
e
Tu cherches les billets. (You are looking for the tickets.)
f
Les enfants regardent la télévision. (The children are watching television.)
g
J’adore le chocolat. (I adore chocolate.)
h
Ma mère écoute la radio. (My mother listens to the radio.)
i
Nous étudions le français. (We study French.)
j
Mes amis cherchent un appartement. (My friends are looking for an apartment.)
k
Il grossit. (He is gaining weight.)
l
Nous applaudissons. (We are applauding.)
m
On obéit aux lois. (One/We obeys/obey the laws.)
n
Tu choisis le champagne. (You choose/are choosing the champagne.)
o
Les ingénieurs bâtissent un pont. (The engineers are building a bridge.)
p
Je réfléchis. (I am thinking.)
q
Vous pâlissez. (You are turning pale.)
r
Nous réunissons les pièces du puzzle. (We are gathering the pieces of the puzzle.)
s
Les enfants finissent leurs devoirs. (The children are finishing their homework.)
t
Tu réussis. (You are succeeding.)
u
Nous répondons aux questions. (We answer the questions; Literally: We respond to the
questions.)
v
Tu pends les vêtements. (You hang up the clothes.)
w
La neige fond lentement. (The snow melts slowly.)
x
Je rends visite à ma tante. (I am visiting my aunt.)
y
Ils entendent les cloches. (They hear the bells.)
A
Françoise descend. (Françoise goes down [the stairs].)
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Chapter 2: Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
B
Le professeur rend les compositions. (The professor is handing back the compositions.)
C
Tu perds ton temps. (You are wasting your time.)
D
Vous attendez vos amis. (You are waiting for your friends.)
E
Les étudiants vendent leur livre. (The students sell their books.)
F
L’étudiant écoute attentivement. (The student listens attentively.)
G
Mon frère étudie peu. (My brother studies little.)
H
Je descends vite. (I go down the stairs quickly.)
I
Nous choisissons souvent ce restaurant. (We often choose this restaurant.)
J
Les ouvriers travaillent trop. (The workers work too much.)
K
Ma sœur parle constamment. (My sister talks constantly.)
L
Tu entends bien. (You hear well.)
M
Ma collègue écoute toujours la radio. (My colleague always listens to the radio.)
N
Je réponds quelquefois à mes messages. (I sometimes answer my messages.)
O
Ils finissent rarement en retard. (They rarely finish late.)
P
Il joue bien. (He plays well.)
Q
Nous attendons fréquemment. (We frequently wait.)
R
Ils perdent rarement. (They rarely lose.)
S
Elle écoute attentivement. (She listens attentively.)
T
Tu étudies beaucoup. (You study a lot.)
U
Nous mangeons assez. (We eat enough.)
V
Je choisis bien. (I choose well.)
W
Elles réagissent mal. (They react badly.)
X
Nous répondons sérieusement. (We respond seriously.)
Y
Tu travailles constamment. (You are constantly working.)
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Chapter 3
Knowing How to Handle
Spelling-Change Verbs
In This Chapter
Trying out different spelling-change verbs
Making sentences with these verbs
S
pelling-change verbs are common verbs that you use every day. For instance, when
you buy (acheter) groceries, when you call (appeler) someone, or when you travel
(voyager) somewhere, you use this type of verb. Spelling-change verbs are similar to regular
-er verbs but with a slight change in the stem. For example, verbs whose infinitives end in
-ger or -cer require changes only in the first person plural (the nous form). Everything else
is regular. Other verbs require an accent grave on the mute e or a double consonant after
the mute e. Don’t worry though, in this chapter I show you these changes step by step.
Keep in mind that no matter what the changes are, the endings of all these verbs are those
of regular -er verbs, like parler (to speak). (Check out Chapter 2 for information about conjugating regular verbs.)
Taking a Stab at Spelling-Change Verbs
When speaking French, sometimes you encounter regular -er verbs that have a slight spelling
change. Don’t worry about difficult spelling. I don’t ask you to spell “hors-d’oeuvre” or
“Versailles” in this section. Instead, this section focuses on the -er verbs that have spelling
changes within their conjugations. I show you these changes, but note that the endings of
these verbs are the same as those of regular -er verbs.
Managing -ger verbs
The verbs that end in -ger, like manger (to eat) have a spelling change in the nous form only.
Unlike the regular -er verbs, -ger verbs need to keep the e before the -ons in the nous form.
To form the present tense, drop the -er of the infinitive and add the following endings, just
like you do for the regular -er verbs:
Common Spelling Change for -ger Verb Endings
je -e
nous -eons
tu -es
vous -ez
il/elle/on -e
ils/elles -ent
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
As you may have noticed, the only difference between -er and -ger verbs is in the
nous form where you add the e before the ons. This difference occurs because the e
after the g in front of an a, o, or u softens the pronunciation of the g, which is pronounced like the s in the word pleasure. If the e isn’t in front of ons, then the g is
pronounced like the g in the word guess.
Check out the following example of the conjugation of manger (to eat).
manger (to eat)
je mange
nous mangeons
tu manges
vous mangez
il/elle/on mange
ils/elles mangent
Je mange une salade. (I eat a salad, or I am eating a salad.)
Table 3-1 provides you with a list of some common -ger verbs that have the same conjugation as manger.
Table 3-1
Common Spelling-Change Verbs
Verb
Translation
changer
to change
mélanger
to mix
nager
to swim
obliger
to oblige, to force
partager
to share
plonger
to dive
voyager
to travel
I provide a few practice problems for you. Try conjugating these verbs.
Q. Nous _________________ (partager) le bureau.
A. Nous partageons le bureau. (We share the office.)
1. Tu _________________ (mélanger) les ingrédients.
2. Nous _________________ (plonger).
3. Ils _________________ (voyager).
4. Elle _________________ (changer).
5. Nous _________________ (nager).
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Chapter 3: Knowing How to Handle Spelling-Change Verbs
Working with -cer verbs
Verbs whose infinitive ends in -cer are similar to those whose infinitive ends in -ger
(see the previous section). Both are conjugated exactly like regular -er verbs, except
for the nous form. The nous form of the -cer verbs requires a cedilla on the c (ç).
These -cer verbs are also common, everyday verbs. When you want to begin something (commencer), announce something (annoncer), influence someone
(influencer), or make progress in something (avancer), you use -cer verbs.
Notice that with the exception of the nous form, the conjugation exactly matches the
regular -er verbs. (Check out Chapter 2 for details on how to conjugate a regular -er
verb.)
Common Spelling Change for -cer Verb Endings
je -e
nous -çons
tu -es
vous -ez
il/elle/on -e
ils/elles -ent
Check out the following example of commencer (to begin):
commencer (to begin)
je commence
nous commençons
tu commences
vous commencez
il/elle/on commence
ils/elles commencent
Je commence mon travail. (I begin my work, or I am beginning my work.)
Now that you have an understanding of how to conjugate -cer verbs, check out
Table 3-2 for a list of some other useful -cer verbs.
Table 3-2
Common -cer Verbs
Verb
Translation
annoncer
to announce
avancer
to advance, to make progress
influencer
to influence
lancer
to throw
menacer
to threaten
placer
to place
remplacer
to replace
Practice conjugating the verbs in parentheses.
Q. Il _________________ (influencer) ses amis.
A. Il influence ses amis. (He influences his friends.)
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
6. Nous _________________ (avancer).
7. Je _________________ (annoncer) les prix.
8. Ils _________________ (menacer) les enfants.
9. Elle _________________ (remplacer) Paul.
10. Vous _________________ (lancer) la balle.
In these practice problems, I put the -ger and -cer verbs together. Conjugate the verbs
in parentheses.
11. Jean et Marie-Claire _________________ (annoncer) leurs fiançailles.
12. Mon patron _________________ (voyager) en France.
13. Nous _________________ (placer) nos affaires dans l’armoire.
14. Mes parents _________________ (commencer) à apprendre le japonais.
15. Je _________________ (nager) très bien.
16. Nous _________________ (partager) une bouteille de vin.
17. Tu _________________ (changer) d’avis.
18. Les étudiants _________________ (avancer) en mathématiques.
19. Le chat _________________ (menacer) la souris.
20. Nous _________________ (manger) un grand repas le dimanche.
Keeping an eye on the silent types
Two other types of -er verbs have a mute or silent e in the infinitive. In order to conjugate these types of verbs, you must pronounce the e in all but the nous and vous
forms, and therefore spelling changes occur in the rest of the conjugation for phonetic reasons. What do you do to the verb in order to pronounce the e? You either
add an accent grave (`) to the e (è) or double the consonant after it. Note that the
endings of these verbs are like all regular -er verbs. Just drop the -er from the infinitive and stick to the endings in the following chart.
Common Spelling-Change Verb Endings
je -e
nous -ons
tu -es
vous -ez
il/elle/on -e
ils/elles -ent
First, I begin with verbs to which you add the accent grave, like acheter (to buy).
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Chapter 3: Knowing How to Handle Spelling-Change Verbs
acheter (to buy)
j’achète
nous achetons
tu achètes
vous achetez
il/elle/on achète
ils/elles achètent
J’achète des légumes. (I buy vegetables, or I am buying vegetables.)
You add the accent grave only to the entire singular and third person plural (je, tu,
il/elle/on, and ils/elles). The nous and vous forms don’t have an accent grave. Note:
When you have an irregularity in the conjugation of a verb, usually the nous and vous
forms resemble the infinitive. In other words, the infinitive has no accent grave, so
the nous and vous forms have no accent grave. Notice also that the endings are the
same as regular -er verbs. Check out Table 3-3 for other verbs like acheter.
Table 3-3
Adding an Accent Grave (è) to the Mute e
Verb
Translation
amener
to bring
geler
to freeze
lever
to raise
mener
to lead, to take along
peser
to weigh
promener
to take a person or a pet for a walk
*se lever
to get up, to stand
*se promener
to take a stroll, to take a walk
* se lever and se promener are reflexive verbs; see Chapter 5 for more information.
See whether you can work through the following practice problems that help you
with this verb type.
Q. Elle _________________ (acheter) des fruits.
A. Elle achète des fruits. (She buys fruit.)
21. Ils _________________ (promener) le chien.
22. Nous _________________ (geler).
23. Tu _________________ (peser) 60 kilos.
24. Je _________________ (amener) mes enfants.
25. Vous _________________ (lever) la main.
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Handling é verbs
Verbs that have an é or e accent aigu in the second to the last syllable in their infinitive also undergo changes. The accent aigu (é) changes to an accent grave (è) in the
entire singular and the third person plural (je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles). Note that
the nous and vous forms don’t change and have the same accents as the infinitives.
Remember that the endings are like the regular -er verbs (check out Chapter 2 to see
how to conjugate regular -er verbs).
espérer (to hope)
j’espère
nous espérons
tu espères
vous espérez
il/elle/on espère
ils/elles espèrent
J’espère que tu vas bien. (I hope you’re doing well.)
Check out the list of verbs that are similar to espérer in Table 3-4.
Table 3-4
Changing the é to è
Verb
Translation
céder
to give up, to yield
exagérer
to exaggerate
*préférer
to prefer
protéger
to protect
*répéter
to repeat
suggérer
to suggest
*Note: The first é in the verbs préférer and répéter never changes; the second é changes to è in all the subject pronouns except for nous and vous.
Try conjugating verbs that have an é in the following exercise.
Q. Il _________________ (céder) sa place.
A. Il cède sa place. (He gives up his seat.)
26. Je _________________ (préférer) la soupe.
27. Les étudiants _________________ (répéter).
28. Tu _________________ (exagérer).
29. Nous _________________ (protéger) les petits chats. (the kittens)
30. Elles _________________ (espérer).
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Figuring out -eter and -eler verbs
Some verbs that end in -eter and -eler double the t or l after the mute e (except with
nous and vous) in order to pronounce the e. The endings are the same as those of
regular -er verbs.
See the following example of jeter (to throw).
jeter (to throw)
je jette
nous jetons
tu jettes
vous jetez
il/elle/on jette
ils/elles jettent
Je jette la balle. (I throw the ball, or I am throwing the ball.)
For a list of some of the more common types of these verbs, check out Table 3-5.
Table 3-5
Common -eter and -eler Verbs
Verb
Translation
appeler
to call
épeler
to spell
rappeler
to call back
rejeter
to reject
*s’appeler
to be called (to be named)
*se rappeler
to remember
*Refer to Chapter 5 for more on these pronominal verbs.
Take the time to work on these practice problems and perfect your use of -eter and
-eler verbs.
Q. Je _________________ (rejeter) l’idée.
A. Je rejette l’idée. (I reject the idea.)
31. Nous _________________ (épeler) notre nom.
32. Ils _________________ (rejeter) la proposition.
33. Tu _________________ (appeler) le docteur.
34. Vous _________________ (jeter) des cailloux.
35. Je _________________ (rappeler) mes enfants.
35
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Dotting the i in -yer verbs
The last group of spelling-change verbs with regular endings is the group of infinitives
that ends in -yer. In this group, the y changes to an i in front of a mute e. Use the following example as a guide for conjugating the -yer verbs.
I conjugate the verb essayer (to try) as an example of this type of verb.
essayer (to try)
j’essaie
nous essayons
tu essaies
vous essayez
il/elle/on essaie
ils/elles essaient
J’essaie le vin. (I try the wine, or I am trying the wine.)
The spelling changes of this type of verb occur only in the entire singular and the
third person plural. Spell the nous and vous forms just like the infinitive form of the
verb and add the endings -ons and -ez after you drop the -er.
Do you want a few more verbs to practice? Table 3-6 covers some important -yer
verbs that are conjugated similarly.
Table 3-6
Common -yer Verbs
Verb
Translation
employer
to use
ennuyer
to bother
envoyer
to send
essuyer
to wipe
nettoyer
to clean
payer
to pay
s’ennuyer
to be bored
tutoyer
to address someone using the tu form, informally
vouvoyer
to address someone using the vous form, formally
Try conjugating some of these -yer verbs.
Q. Tu _________________ (envoyer) une lettre.
A. Tu envoies une lettre. (You send a letter.)
36. Elle _________________ (payer).
37. Nous _________________ (nettoyer).
38. Tu _________________ (essuyer) la table.
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39. Ils _________________ (employer) le dictionnaire.
40. Il _________________ (ennuyer) Luc.
Now that you’re familiar with many of these spelling-change verbs, take the time to
conjugate some of these different types of verbs in the following problems, and then
translate the sentences.
Q. Suzanne _________________ (essayer) les escargots.
A. Suzanne essaie les escargots. Suzanne tries the snails.
41. Tu _________________ (appeler) ton ami.
__________________________________________________________________________________
42. L’épicier _________________ (peser) les tomates.
__________________________________________________________________________________
43. Les enfants _________________ (s’ennuyer) à la maison.
__________________________________________________________________________________
44. Je _________________ (acheter) les billets pour le théâtre.
__________________________________________________________________________________
45. Ils _________________ (répéter) après le professeur.
__________________________________________________________________________________
46. Nous _________________ (nettoyer) la maison.
__________________________________________________________________________________
47. Le sommelier _________________ (lever) le verre de vin.
__________________________________________________________________________________
48. L’équipe _________________ (jeter) la balle.
__________________________________________________________________________________
49. Tu _________________ (amener) ton frère à l’école.
__________________________________________________________________________________
50. Les Martin nous _________________ (envoyer) des cadeaux.
__________________________________________________________________________________
51. Elle _________________ (espérer) continuer ses études.
__________________________________________________________________________________
52. La neige _________________ (geler) l’étang.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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53. Je _________________ (essuyer) les meubles.
__________________________________________________________________________________
54. Tu _________________ (essayer) le foie gras.
__________________________________________________________________________________
55. Nous _________________ (préférer) la soupe à l’oignon.
__________________________________________________________________________________
56. Marc _________________ (épeler) son nom avec un c.
__________________________________________________________________________________
57. Les parents _________________ (protéger) leurs enfants.
__________________________________________________________________________________
58. Ils _________________ (rejeter) le candidat.
__________________________________________________________________________________
59. Tu _________________ (exagérer) vraiment!
__________________________________________________________________________________
60. Elle _________________ (mener) son chien.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Building Sentences: Word by Word
Do you have a grasp of the verbs in this chapter? Do you feel comfortable putting
them into complete sentences? If you don’t, I suggest you revisit any verb type that’s
causing you concern.
To actually build a sentence with these verbs, take the verb and conjugate it in the
present tense. You can also add adverbs to give further meaning or emphasis to the
verbs. (See Chapter 2 for more information on adverbs.) You can say how frequently,
how well, how seriously, or even how attentively you do something. Then add appropriate nouns to form a complete sentence. Remember that along with the conjugation
of these verbs, you also acquire new vocabulary by knowing what they mean.
Tu voyages fréquemment. (You travel frequently.)
Il appelle souvent son ami. (He often calls his friend.)
Try translating the following sentences. If you get stuck, refer to the tables earlier in
this chapter. Note that the present tense in French has three meanings in English.
For example, Jean et Marie-Claire annoncent leurs fiançailles means Jean and
Marie-Claire announce, do announce, or are announcing their engagement.
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Chapter 3: Knowing How to Handle Spelling-Change Verbs
I complete the first one for you. Check out the following example.
Q. I am constantly traveling.
A. Je voyage constamment.
61. They wipe the table.
__________________________________________________________________________________
62. We mix the ingredients well.
__________________________________________________________________________________
63. The students repeat frequently after the professor.
__________________________________________________________________________________
64. I send e-mails often.
__________________________________________________________________________________
65. Michelle rarely calls.
__________________________________________________________________________________
66. We are changing our phone number.
__________________________________________________________________________________
67. The people are influencing the politicians.
__________________________________________________________________________________
68. Tim is really annoying his sister.
__________________________________________________________________________________
69. I am walking my dog.
__________________________________________________________________________________
70. The clients are paying the bill.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Answer Key
In this section, I give you the answers to all the practice problems in this chapter. I
also provide the most common translations to help you improve your French vocabulary. (Remember that the present tense in French has three potential translations.)
a
Tu melanges les ingrédients. (You mix the ingredients.)
b
Nous plongeons. (We dive.)
c
Ils voyagent. (They travel.)
d
Elle change. (She changes.)
e
Nous nageons. (We swim.)
f
Nous avançons. (We advance.)
g
J’annonce les prix. (I am announcing the prizes.)
h
Ils menacent les enfants. (They threaten the children.)
i
Elle remplace Paul. (She replaces Paul.)
j
Vous lancez la balle. (You throw the ball.)
k
Jean et Marie-Claire annoncent leurs fiançailles. (Jean and Marie-Claire announce their
engagement.)
l
Mon patron voyage en France. (My boss is traveling to France.)
m
Nous plaçons nos affaires dans l’armoire. (We are placing our things in the armoire.)
n
Mes parents commencent à apprendre le japonais. (My parents are beginning to learn Japanese.)
o
Je nage très bien. (I swim very well.)
p
Nous partageons une bouteille de vin. (We are sharing a bottle of wine.)
q
Tu changes d’avis. (You are changing your mind.)
r
Les étudiants avancent en mathématiques. (The students are advancing in mathematics.)
s
Le chat menace la souris. (The cat is threatening the mouse.)
t
Nous mangeons un grand repas le dimanche. (We eat a big meal on Sundays.)
u
Ils promènent le chien. (They take the dog for a walk.)
v
Nous gelons. (We are freezing.)
w
Tu pèses 60 kilos. (You weigh 60 kilograms.)
x
J’amène mes enfants. (I am bringing my children.)
y
Vous levez la main. (You raise your hand.)
A
Je préfère la soupe. (I prefer the soup.)
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Chapter 3: Knowing How to Handle Spelling-Change Verbs
B
Les étudiants répètent. (The students repeat.)
C
Tu exagères. (You exaggerate.)
D
Nous protégeons les petits chats. (We protect the kittens.)
E
Elles espèrent. (They hope.)
F
Nous épelons notre nom. (We spell our name.)
G
Ils rejettent la proposition. (They reject the proposal.)
H
Tu appelles le docteur. (You call the doctor.)
I
Vous jetez des cailloux. (You throw pebbles.)
J
Je rappelle mes enfants. (I call my children back.)
K
Elle paie. (She is paying.)
L
Nous nettoyons. (We clean.)
M
Tu essuies la table. (You wipe the table.)
N
Ils emploient le dictionnaire. (They use the dictionary.)
O
Il ennuie Luc. (He bothers Luc.)
P
Tu appelles ton ami. You call your friend.
Q
L’épicier pèse les tomates. The grocer weighs the tomatoes.
R
Les enfants s’ennuient à la maison. The children are bored in the house.
S
J’achète les billets pour le théâtre. I am buying the tickets for the theater.
T
Ils répètent après le professeur. They repeat after the professor.
U
Nous nettoyons la maison. We are cleaning the house.
V
Le sommelier lève le verre de vin. The wine steward is raising the glass of wine.
W
L’equipe jette la balle. The team throws the ball.
X
Tu amènes ton frère à l’école. You bring your brother to school.
Y
Les Martin nous envoient des cadeaux. The Martins send us gifts.
z
Elle espère continuer ses études. She hopes to continue her studies.
Z
La neige gèle l’étang. The snow freezes the pond.
1
J’essuie les meubles. I am wiping the furniture.
2
Tu essaies le foie gras. You are trying the foie gras.
3
Nous préférons la soupe à l’oignon. We prefer the onion soup.
4
Marc épelle son nom avec un c. Marc spells his name with a c.
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5
Les parents protègent leurs enfants. The parents protect their children.
6
Ils rejettent le candidat. They reject the candidate.
7
Tu exagères vraiment! You really exaggerate!
8
Elle mène son chien. She is bringing her dog.
9
Ils essuient la table.
0
Nous mélangeons bien les ingrédients.
!
Les étudiants répètent fréquemment après le professeur.
@
J’envoie souvent des e-mails tous.
#
Michelle appelle rarement.
$
Nous changeons notre numéro de téléphone.
%
Les gens influencent les politiciens.
^
Tim ennuie vraiment sa soeur.
&
Je promène mon chien.
*
Les clients paient l’addition.
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Chapter 4
Wrestling with Some
Irregular Conjugations
In This Chapter
Breaking down irregular verbs
Putting different irregular verbs together
I
n Chapter 2, I introduce the regular verbs whose infinitives end in -er, -ir, and -re. Some
verbs with these endings, however, have an irregular conjugation. They’re harder to
conjugate because they don’t have a consistent stem throughout their conjugation, but
most have similar endings, making them a little easier to figure out.
In this chapter, I start with the most common and most frequently used irregular verbs. I
then focus on different groupings of irregular verbs and show you how to conjugate them
all. (If you want to work on other not-quite-so-common irregular verbs, you can find more
in Appendix C.)
Conjugating Irregular Verbs
From your experiences, you probably realize that nothing is run-of-the-mill. Just like in life
where you may know a few eccentric people, French is similar with its own unique verbs.
They’re not at all like the regular verbs you find in Chapter 2 (or even Chapter 3). These
verbs are irregular and in a world of their own.
This section first covers the four most commonly used irregular verbs in the French language
and then delves into other frequently used irregular verbs.
Focusing on the four most common irregular verbs
The following are the most common irregular verbs in the French language. I wish I had a
clear-cut, easy way for you to master these irregular beasts. The only suggestion I can make
is that you study each one and practice using it; I’m sure each will be become second nature
to you in no time. A good way to make these verbs your own is to practice saying them out
loud to try to build up a certain rhythm. You may even try making a song out of the conjugations, using your favorite melody.
Even with the following irregular conjugations, you may notice some consistencies; for
example, the nous form in French always ends in -ons, and the vous form almost always
ends in -ez (exceptions include être, dire, and faire, whose vous forms end in -es instead).
Because the verbs in this section are irregular, I bold the entire conjugation and not just the
ending in the following tables. From these four verbs, avoir and être are the two auxiliary
verbs. That means that you always use them when forming the compound past tenses,
which I discuss in Part III.
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avoir (to have)
j’ai
nous avons
tu as
vous avez
il/elle/on a
ils/elles ont
J’ai trois enfants. (I have three children.)
être (to be)
je suis
nous sommes
tu es
vous êtes
il/elle/on est
ils/elles sont
Ils sont gentils. (They are nice.)
aller (to go)
je vais
nous allons
tu vas
vous allez
il/elle/on va
ils/elles vont
Nous allons au cinéma. (We are going to the movies.)
faire (to do, to make)
je fais
nous faisons
tu fais
vous faites
il/elle/on fait
ils/elles font
Tu fais du bruit. (You are making noise.)
Other verbs conjugated like faire are refaire (to redo), défaire (to dismantle), and satisfaire (to satisfy).
The four verbs in this section are the most common irregular verbs in French. Try the
following practice problems to double-check how well you know them. I’ve conjugated the verbs in the following sentences, but I may not have conjugated them correctly. Check to see whether they’re right, and correct the ones that are wrong by
writing the correct conjugation in the provided blank. If you come across any that are
already correct, simply write “yes” in the blank.
Q. Tu va à l’université.
A. No. Tu vas à l’université. (You are going to the university.)
1. Tu fait ton lit.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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2. Ils vont à la plage.
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Claudine es canadienne.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. J’ai de la chance.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Vous faitez du ski.
__________________________________________________________________________________
6. Les touristes disont au revoir.
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. Tu vas bien.
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. Vous sommes formidable.
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. Philippe as un sac de couchage.
__________________________________________________________________________________
10. Nous faisons une quiche.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Working through other “helpful” irregular verbs
This next section of verbs focuses on important helping verbs. Vouloir (to want to),
pouvoir (to be able to), and devoir (to have to) help the main verb, which is in the
infinitive form. For example, Je veux voyager means I want to travel; Je peux voyager
means I am able to travel; and Je dois voyager means I have to travel. The verbs
vouloir and devoir can also be followed by nouns. For example, Je veux du café
means I want some coffee. Usually the verb vouloir is in the conditional form when
followed by a noun. (See Chapter 17 for the lowdown on the conditional tense.) When
the verb devoir is followed by a noun, it means to owe, as in the example Il me doit
de l’argent, which means He owes me money.
Look at the following conjugations to see how you handle these three common helping verbs. You may notice a lot of similarities between pouvoir and vouloir, such as
their endings and their vowel sequence (eu in all the singular — je, tu, il/elle/on —
and the third person plural — ils/elles; and ou in the nous and vous forms within the
conjugation).
45
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pouvoir (to be able to)
je peux
nous pouvons
tu peux
vous pouvez
il/elle/on peut
ils/elles peuvent
Je peux parler français. (I can [am able to] speak French.)
vouloir (to want to)
je veux
nous voulons
tu veux
vous voulez
il/elle/on veut
ils/elles veulent
Nous voulons apprendre le français. (We want to learn French.)
devoir (to have to)
je dois
nous devons
tu dois
vous devez
il/elle/on doit
ils/elles doivent
Ils doivent lire. (They have to read.)
Now it’s your turn to conjugate these verbs and add the infinitives to make complete
sentences. Work through the following practice questions and compare your answers
to those in the key at the end of the chapter. Translate the sentences after you conjugate the verbs.
Q. Tu _________________ (pouvoir) conduire.
A. Tu peux conduire. You can drive.
11. Nous _________________ (vouloir) dormir.
__________________________________________________________________________________
12. Ils _________________ (pouvoir) lire.
__________________________________________________________________________________
13. Je _________________ (pouvoir) venir.
__________________________________________________________________________________
14. Isabelle _________________ (vouloir) sortir.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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15. Tu _________________ (devoir) travailler.
__________________________________________________________________________________
16. Vous _________________ (pouvoir) parler français.
__________________________________________________________________________________
17. Tout le monde _________________ (vouloir) avoir de l’argent.
__________________________________________________________________________________
18. Les filles _________________ (vouloir) voyager.
__________________________________________________________________________________
19. Je _________________ (devoir) manger.
__________________________________________________________________________________
20. Tu _________________ (pouvoir) chanter.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Grouping Irregular Verbs
Although many verbs have an irregular conjugation, you may be able to group them
according to the ending of their infinitive or the similarity of their conjugation. For
instance, many -ir verbs are irregular, but you can put them into three groups. If you
remember the conjugation of one verb in a group, then you know the conjugation of
all the verbs in that group. The following sections show each of the three groups and
give you tips on how to remember each.
Looking at the “pseudo” -ir verbs
The following are irregular verbs that end in -ir. To conjugate these verbs, you need
to keep the singular conjugation (the je, tu, and il/elle/on) separate from the plural
conjugation (the nous, vous, and ils/elles). For the singular conjugation, get rid of
not only the -ir of the infinitive, but also the consonant before the -ir. For example,
for the verb partir, get rid of the -tir for the singular and add -s, -s, -t. Now for the
plural, bring back the t from the infinitive and add -ons, -ez, -ent. For the verb servir,
drop the -vir from the infinitive, add the ending -s, -s, -t; bring the v back for the plural
and add -ons, -ez, -ent. Do this with all the verbs in this group.
“Pseudo” -ir Verb Endings
je -s
nous -ons
tu -s
vous -ez
il/elle/on -t
ils/elles -ent
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
I use the verb partir (to leave) as an example. Check out the following conjugation.
partir (to leave)
je pars
nous partons
tu pars
vous partez
il/elle/on part
ils/elles partent
Ils partent de l’école. (They are leaving [from] school.)
Check out Table 4-1 for more examples of these types of verbs.
Table 4-1
Common “Pseudo” -ir Verbs
Verb
Translation
Where to Break the Infinitive
dormir
to sleep
dor/mir
mentir
to lie
men/tir
ressentir
to feel
ressen/tir
se sentir
to feel (well/unwell)
se sen/tir
sentir
to smell, to feel
sen/tir
servir
to serve
ser/vir
sortir
to go out
sor/tir
Use the following practice exercises to double-check that you have a good grasp of
these types of verbs. In each blank, write the correctly conjugated form of the verb in
parentheses. I provide the translations in the Answer Key.
Q. Nous _________________ (partir) demain matin.
A. Nous partons demain matin. (We are leaving tomorrow morning.)
21. Tu _________________ (servir) les hors-d’oeuvre.
22. Nous _________________ (dormir) tard le weekend.
23. Je _________________ (sortir) le vendredi soir.
24. Elle _________________ (mentir) quelquefois.
25. Ils _________________ (servir) de la glace.
26. Vous _________________ (sentir) bon.
27. Il _________________ (partir) demain.
28. Tu _________________ (dormir) trop.
29. Marie _________________ (sortir) souvent.
30. Elles _________________ (partir) pour l’Australie.
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Chapter 4: Wrestling with Some Irregular Conjugations
The “wannabes”: -ir verbs acting like -er verbs
You conjugate this set of irregular -ir verbs like -er verbs, such as the verb parler
(to speak). Drop the -ir of the infinitive and add the endings in the following table.
(Don’t the endings look familiar?)
The “Wannabe” Endings: -ir Verbs Acting Like -er Verbs
je -e
nous -ons
tu -es
vous -ez
il/elle/on -e
ils/elles -ent
Check out the following example of the verb ouvrir (to open), conjugated.
ouvrir (to open)
j’ouvre
nous ouvrons
tu ouvres
vous ouvrez
il/elle/on ouvre
ils/elles ouvrent
Nous ouvrons la porte. (We open the door.)
Table 4-2 has some examples of this type of verb.
Table 4-2
Common “Wannabe” -ir Verbs
Verb
Translation
accueillir
to welcome
couvrir
to cover
cueillir
to pick, to gather (flowers, vegetables, and so on)
découvrir
to discover
offrir
to offer
souffrir
to suffer
Work through these practice problems for a quick review of the “wannabe” verbs.
Conjugate the verb in parentheses and write your answer in the blank. (I provide the
translation in the answers.)
Q. Tu _________________ (souffrir) de la chaleur.
A. Tu souffres de la chaleur. (You suffer/are suffering from the heat.)
31. Nous _________________ (cueillir) des fleurs.
32. Ils _________________ (accueillir) leurs invités.
33. Je _________________ (couvrir) mon livre.
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
34. Elle _________________ (découvrir) la vérité.
35. Vous _________________ (offrir) des bonbons.
“Deceptive” -ir verbs: Same
endings, different stem
One more set of irregular verbs that end in -ir are verbs that are all alike, yet irregular
compared to regular -ir verbs. These verbs have a conjugating pattern all their own.
If you know how to conjugate one of them, then you can conjugate them all.
These -ir verbs have the same endings as regular -ir verbs but without the double s
in the plural (check out Chapter 2). The irregularity here is in the stem. In fact, these
verbs have two stems, one for the entire singular and third person plural and another
for the nous and vous forms. To begin the conjugation, get rid of -enir from the infinitive and add -iens, -iens, -ient, or -iennent for the singular forms or third person plural
(ils/elles). For the nous and vous forms, add -enons and -enez. Look at the example.
The “Deceptive” -ir Verb Endings
je -iens
nous -enons
tu -iens
vous -enez
il/elle/on -ient
ils/elles -iennent
venir (to come)
je viens
nous venons
tu viens
vous venez
il/elle/on vient
ils/elles viennent
Elle vient ici souvent. (She comes here often.)
Table 4-3 provides a list of verbs that follow the same type of conjugation.
Table 4-3
Alike But Unique Irregular -ir Verbs
Verb
Translation
appartenir à
to belong to
contenir
to contain
devenir
to become
maintenir
to maintain
obtenir
to obtain
retenir
to retain
revenir
to come back
se souvenir
to remember
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Chapter 4: Wrestling with Some Irregular Conjugations
Verb
Translation
soutenir
to support
tenir
to hold
Conjugate the verb in each set of parentheses and write your answers in the blanks
provided. I provide the translations in the Answer Key.
Q. Le lait _________________ (contenir) des vitamines.
A. Le lait contient des vitamines. (Milk contains vitamins.)
36. Conjugate the verb tenir (to hold) from start to finish. Use the verb venir from earlier in
this section as an example.
je _________________
nous _________________
tu _________________
vous _________________
il/elle/on _________________
ils/elles _________________
37. Nous _________________ (revenir) du cinéma.
38. Les boîtes _________________ (contenir) des cadeaux.
39. Paul _________________ (tenir) le chien par la laisse.
40. Tu _________________ (obtenir) ton diplôme.
41. Le dictionnaire _________________ (appartenir) à mon grand-père.
42. Les invités _________________ (venir) à huit heures.
43. Le douanier _________________ (retenir) les journalistes.
44. Nous _________________ (devenir) influents.
45. Je _________________ (obtenir) la permission de mon patron.
Comprehending irregular -re verbs
Many irregular verbs in French have infinitives that end in -re. Just like the irregular -ir
verbs, these verbs can be put into various groups. I start off with verbs that build off
the verb prendre (to take). If you know how to conjugate prendre, you can also conjugate verbs that end in -prendre. To conjugate these verbs, drop the -re off the infinitive
for the singular forms (je, tu, and il/elle/on) and add the following endings: -s, -s, nothing. For the plural forms, drop the -dre and add the following ending: -ons, -ez, -nent.
The -prendre Verb Endings
je -s
nous -ons
tu -s
vous -ez
il/elle/on (nothing)
ils/elles -nent
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With il, elle, and on, remember that you don’t add any endings. Just drop the -re.
For an example, check out the conjugation of prendre.
prendre (to take)
je prends
nous prenons
tu prends
vous prenez
il/elle/on prend
ils/elles prennent
Tu prends le métro. (You take/are taking the subway.)
Table 4-4 lists other common -prendre verbs. Look through this list and practice conjugating them.
Table 4-4
Common -prendre Verbs
Verb
Translation
apprendre
to learn
comprendre
to understand
entreprendre
to undertake
reprendre
to take back, to recapture
surprendre
to surprise
Are the following verbs conjugated correctly? If not, correct them. If you find one
that’s right, simply write “yes” in the blank after the question.
Q. Nous prennons un taxi.
A. No. Nous prenons un taxi. (We take/are taking a taxi.)
46. J’apprends le français.
__________________________________________________________________________________
47. Ils comprenent le russe.
__________________________________________________________________________________
48. Elle prends le train.
__________________________________________________________________________________
49. Je surprends mes amis.
__________________________________________________________________________________
50. Nous comprendons la leçon.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Remembering the “mets”
Like the verb prendre, other irregular -re verbs have one stem in the singular and
another stem in the plural. This is the case for the verb mettre (to put, to place) and
verbs that end in -mettre. To form the singular conjugation, just drop the -tre from the
infinitive and add -s, -s, nothing. For the plural, bring back the t and add -ons, -ez, -ent.
The -mettre Verb Endings
je -s
nous -tons
tu -s
vous -tez
il/elle/on (nothing)
ils/elles -tent
In this example, I conjugate mettre. If you know how to conjugate this verb, then you
can conjugate others like it.
mettre (to put, to place)
je mets
nous mettons
tu mets
vous mettez
il/elle/on met
ils/elles mettent
Je mets mon manteau. (I put my coat on.)
Table 4-5 lists the other common -mettre verbs. Look through this list and practice
conjugating the verbs.
Table 4-5
Common -mettre Verbs
Verb
Translation
admettre
to admit
permettre
to allow
promettre
to promise
soumettre
to submit, to subject
transmettre
to transmit, to convey
Conjugate the verb in the following practice problems.
Q. Tu _________________ (admettre) ton erreur.
A. Tu admets ton erreur. (You admit your error.)
51. Conjugate the verb permettre (to allow) from start to finish. Use mettre from earlier in
this section as an example.
je _________________
nous _________________
tu _________________
vous _________________
il/elle/on _________________
ils/elles _________________
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52. Les enfants _________________ (promettre) d’être sages.
53. Les chaînes de télévision _________________ (transmettre) les nouvelles.
54. Le professeur _________________ (permettre) aux étudiants de partir.
55. Nous _________________ (mettre) nos gants.
Continuing with irregular -re verbs
The following irregular -re verbs all have the same endings but different stems. For the
verb écrire (to write), as well as other verbs conjugated like it, drop the -re off the infinitive and add -s, -s, -t for the singular. For the plural, add a v before the -ons, -ez, and -ent.
The following is an example of this type of conjugation.
écrire (to write)
j’écris
nous écrivons
tu écris
vous écrivez
il/elle/on écrit
ils/elles écrivent
Il écrit une lettre. (He writes a letter.)
Other verbs conjugated like écrire include the following: décrire (to describe),
inscrire (to inscribe), récrire (to rewrite), and transcrire (to transcribe).
Lire (to read) is very similar in its conjugation. First, drop the -re from the infinitive,
and add the endings you see in this table. Remember to add an s in the plural.
lire (to read )
je lis
nous lisons
tu lis
vous lisez
il/elle/on lit
ils/elles lisent
Ils lisent le journal. (They read the newspaper.)
Élire (to elect), relire (to reread), traduire (to translate), and conduire are conjugated
like lire.
You conjugate dire (to say) exactly like lire and conduire (to drive) with the exception of the vous form. The vous form of dire ends in -tes just like the verbs être (to
be) and faire (to do, to make).
Note the following conjugation:
dire (to say)
je dis
nous disons
tu dis
vous dites
il/elle/on dit
ils/elles disent
Elle dit bonjour. (She says hello.)
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Other verbs conjugated like dire include the following: contredire (to contradict),
interdire (to forbid), prédire (to predict), and redire (to repeat). You may want to note
that the vous forms of contredire, interdire, and prédire end in -disez.
The verb boire (to drink) is in a place all its own. It starts out like the other irregular
-re verbs. Drop the -re from the infinitive, and add -s, -s, -t for the singular forms.
However, the plural forms have a different stem. Note this transformation in the following conjugation.
boire (to drink)
Je bois
nous buvons
Tu bois
vous buvez
il/elle/on boit
ils/elles boivent
Je bois du café. (I drink coffee.)
Try conjugating these irregular -re verbs. I provide the translations in the Answer Key.
Q. La loi _________________ (interdire) le vol.
A. La loi interdit le vol. (The law forbids theft.)
56. Ils _________________ (lire) des magazines.
57. Vous _________________ (dire) au revoir.
58. Tu _________________ (conduire) une Mercedes.
59. Elle _________________ (écrire) des poèmes.
60. Nous _________________ (traduire) en français.
61. Je _________________ (décrire) Paris.
62. Vous _________________ (boire) du thé.
63. Ils _________________ (élire) le Président.
64. Nous _________________ (écrire) une pièce.
65. Tu _________________ (dire) bon appétit.
Looking at other odd irregular verbs
Some verbs don’t necessarily follow a set pattern. Unfortunately, the only way to
remember them is to practice saying them and writing them over and over until they
sink in.
Verbs such as voir (to see) and croire (to believe) are verbs with regular endings: -s,
-s, -t, -ons, -ez, and -ent. However, in the nous and vous forms, you need to change the
i to a y, as in the following examples.
55
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voir (to see)
je vois
nous voyons
tu vois
vous voyez
il/elle/on voit
ils/elles voient
Nous voyons le drapeau. (We see the flag.)
croire (to believe)
je crois
nous croyons
tu crois
vous croyez
il/elle/on croit
ils/elles croient
Je crois l’article. (I believe the article.)
Don’t be fooled by the verb recevoir (to receive). It contains the verb voir, but it’s
conjugated very differently. The endings are regular, but take a look at the stem. Oh,
la, la. In Chapter 1, I explain when you add the accent cédille on the c. You add it
when the c is followed by an a, o, or u. That way the c is always pronounced c and
not k. Take a look at the conjugation of recevoir.
recevoir (to receive)
je reçois
nous recevons
tu reçois
vous recevez
il/elle/on reçoit
ils/elles reçoivent
Elle reçoit un cadeau. (She receives a present.)
Verbs conjugated like recevoir include the following: apercevoir (to notice, to perceive), concevoir (to conceive), décevoir (to deceive), and percevoir (to perceive).
Craindre (to fear) is another verb that has a unique conjugation. Drop the -dre and
add -s, -s, -t for the singular. For the plural, drop the -ndre and add -gn before the regular endings, -ons, -ez, -ent.
craindre (to fear)
je crains
nous craignons
tu crains
vous craignez
il/elle/on craint
ils/elles craignent
Ils craignent l’ouragan. (They fear the hurricane.)
Other verbs similar to craindre include the following: plaindre (to pity, to feel sorry
for), se plaindre (to complain), and contraindre (to compel, to force someone to do
something).
Now you can practice your skills by conjugating these verbs. You can also take it a
step further and translate the sentences.
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Q. Ils _________________ (prévoir) le mauvais temps. __________________________________
A. Ils prévoient le mauvais temps. They foresee bad weather.
66. Nous _________________ (recevoir) des e-mails.
__________________________________________________________________________________
67. Les Français _________________ (boire) du vin au dîner.
__________________________________________________________________________________
68. Je _________________ (conduire) prudemment.
__________________________________________________________________________________
69. Vous _________________ (voir) le pont.
__________________________________________________________________________________
70. Michelle _________________ (traduire) du français en anglais.
__________________________________________________________________________________
71. Nous _________________ (craindre) les araignées.
__________________________________________________________________________________
72. Tu _________________ (lire) le journal tous les jours.
__________________________________________________________________________________
73. Vous _________________ (croire) l’histoire.
__________________________________________________________________________________
74. Je _________________ (recevoir) de bonnes notes.
__________________________________________________________________________________
75. Il _________________ (écrire) des poèmes.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Answer Key
The following section includes the answers for all the practice problems in this chapter. How did you do? If one type of irregular verb gives you trouble, take a few minutes to review it.
a
No. Tu fais ton lit. (You make/are making your bed.)
b
Yes. Ils vont à la plage. (They are going to the beach.)
c
No. Claudine est canadienne. (Claudine is Canadian.)
d
Yes. J’ai de la chance. (I am lucky.)
e
No. Vous faites du ski. (You are skiing.)
f
No. Les touristes disent au revoir. (The tourists say goodbye.)
g
Yes. Tu vas bien. (You are well.)
h
No. Vous êtes formidable. (You are wonderful.)
i
No. Philippe a un sac de couchage. (Philippe has a sleeping bag.)
j
Yes. Nous faisons une quiche. (We are making a quiche.)
k
Nous voulons dormir. We want to sleep.
l
Ils peuvent lire. They can read.
m
Je peux venir. I can come.
n
Isabelle veut sortir. Isabelle wants to go out.
o
Tu dois travailler. You have to/must/ought to work.
p
Vous pouvez parler français. You can speak French.
q
Tout le monde veut avoir de l’argent. Everyone wants to have money.
r
Les filles veulent voyager. The girls want to travel.
s
Je dois manger. I have to eat.
t
Tu peux chanter. You can/are able to sing.
u
Tu sers les hors-d’oeuvre. (You serve the hors-d’oeuvres.)
v
Nous dormons tard le weekend. (We sleep late on the weekends.)
w
Je sors le vendredi soir. (I go out Friday evenings.)
x
Elle ment quelquefois. (She lies sometimes.)
y
Ils servent de la glace. (They serve ice cream.)
A
Vous sentez bon. (You smell good.)
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B
Il part demain. (He’s leaving tomorrow.)
C
Tu dors trop. (You sleep too much.)
D
Marie sort souvent. (Mary goes out often.)
E
Elles partent pour l’Australie. (They are leaving for Australia.)
F
Nous cueillons des fleurs. (We pick flowers.)
G
Ils accueillent leurs invités. (They welcome their guests.)
H
Je couvre mon livre. (I cover my book.)
I
Elle découvre la vérité. (She discovers the truth.)
J
Vous offrez des bonbons. (You offer candy.)
K
je tiens
nous tenons
tu tiens
vous tenez
il/elle/on tient
ils/elles tiennent
L
Nous revenons du cinéma. (We are coming back from the movies.)
M
Les boîtes contiennent des cadeaux. (The boxes contain gifts.)
N
Paul tient le chien par la laisse. (Paul is holding the dog by the leash.)
O
Tu obtiens ton diplôme. (You are obtaining your diploma.)
P
Le dictionnaire appartient à mon grand-père. (The dictionary belongs to my grandfather.)
Q
Les invités viennent à huit heures. (The guests are coming at 8 o’clock.)
R
Le douanier retient les journalistes. (The customs officer is retaining the journalists.)
S
Nous devenons influents. (We are becoming influential.)
T
J’obtiens la permission de mon patron. (I’m obtaining my boss’s permission.)
U
Yes. J’apprends le français. (I am learning French.)
V
No. Ils comprennent le russe. (They understand Russian.)
W
No. Elle prend le train. (She takes the train.)
X
Yes. Je surprends mes amis. (I surprise my friends.)
Y
No. Nous comprenons la leçon. (We understand the lesson.)
z
je permets
nous permettons
tu permets
vous permettez
il/elle/on permet
ils/elles permettent
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Z
Les enfants promettent d’être sages. (The children promise to be good.)
1
Les chaînes de télévision transmettent les nouvelles. (The TV channels transmit the news.)
2
Le professeur permet aux étudiants de partir. (The professor allows the students to leave.)
3
Nous mettons nos gants. (We put on our gloves.)
4
Ils lisent des magazines. (They read magazines.)
5
Vous dites au revoir. (You say goodbye.)
6
Tu conduis une Mercedes. (You drive a Mercedes.)
7
Elle écrit des poèmes. (She writes poems.)
8
Nous traduisons en français. (We translate in French.)
9
Je décris Paris. (I describe Paris.)
0
Vous buvez du thé. (You drink tea.)
!
Ils élisent le Président. (They elect the President.)
@
Nous écrivons une pièce. (We are writing a play.)
#
Tu dis bon appétit. (You say bon appétit.)
$
Nous recevons des e-mails. We receive e-mails.
%
Les Français boivent du vin au dîner. The French drink wine at dinner.
^
Je conduis prudemment. I drive carefully.
&
Vous voyez le pont. You see the bridge.
*
Michelle traduit du français en anglais. Michelle translates from French to English.
(
Nous craignons les araignées. We fear spiders.
)
Tu lis le journal tous les jours. You read the newspaper every day.
-
Vous croyez l’histoire. You believe the story.
_
Je reçois de bonnes notes. I get (receive) good grades.
=
Il écrit des poèmes. He writes poems.
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Chapter 5
Reflecting on Pronominal Verbs
(Reflexive, Reciprocal, and Idiomatic)
In This Chapter
Explaining reflexive verbs
Clarifying reciprocal verbs
Discussing idiomatic verbs
T
he pronominal verb is one of the trickiest concepts for native English-speakers to understand. You may be scratching your head, wondering how you can tell whether a verb
is pronominal or not. Don’t worry. You can easily tell because the infinitive is preceded by
the pronoun se (or s’ if the verb begins with a vowel or a mute h). For example, se laver
(to wash oneself), s’amuser (to have fun), and s’habiller (to get dressed) are all pronominal
verbs.
This chapter focuses on the three types of pronominal verbs: reflexive, reciprocal, and
idiomatic. They may seem tricky, but you do catch a few breaks: You conjugate pronominal
verbs the same way you conjugate regular French verbs, and the pronominal pronouns
(which each verb has) are the same whether the verb is reflexive, reciprocal, or idiomatic. If
you want more information about reflexive verbs and giving commands, check out Chapter 8,
and see Chapter 7 for information on using reflexive verbs when answering negatively.
Understanding Reflexive Verbs
Every pronominal verb has a pronominal pronoun in front of it. With reflexive verbs, this
pronoun is often referred to as the reflexive pronoun. The addition of the reflexive pronoun
doesn’t necessarily change the meaning of the verb, but it alerts you that the subject is doing
the action on itself. Laver (to wash) and se laver (to wash oneself) are a great example. Je lave
la voiture means I’m washing the car. The subject, je, is performing an action on something or
someone else — in this case, la voiture. Add a reflexive pronoun and you get Je me lave,
which means I wash/am washing myself. Now the subject is performing the action on itself.
Before you can conjugate reflexive verbs, you need to know about their unique pronouns.
Table 5-1 shows a list of subject pronouns and their corresponding reflexive pronouns. You
use these pronouns when you want to imply that the subject is doing the action on itself.
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Table 5-1 Subject Pronouns and the Corresponding Reflexive Pronouns
Subject Pronouns
Reflexive Pronouns
je
me
tu
te
il/elle/on
se
nous
nous
vous
vous
ils/elles
se
I conjugate the verb laver first as nonreflexive and then as reflexive so that you can
compare the two. Remember that laver is a regular -er verb. (You can check out
Chapter 2 for more about present-tense regular verb conjugations.)
laver (to wash something or someone)
je lave
nous lavons
tu laves
vous lavez
il/elle/on lave
ils/elles lavent
Je lave le bébé. (I am washing the baby.)
se laver (to wash oneself)
je me lave
nous nous lavons
tu te laves
vous vous lavez
il/elle/on se lave
ils/elles se lavent
Elle se lave. (She washes/is washing herself.)
With Je lave la voiture and Je lave le bébé, the subject is performing the action on
something (the car) or someone (the baby) else. However, with Je me lave, the subject is doing the action on itself. Thus, you use a reflexive verb.
Drop the e from the pronouns me, te, and se and add an apostrophe before a verb
that begins with a vowel or a mute h. The verb s’habiller (to dress) serves as an
example.
s’habiller (to dress oneself/to get dressed)
je m’habille
nous nous habillons
tu t’habilles
vous vous habillez
il/elle/on s’habille
ils/elles s’habillent
Nous nous habillons. (We get/are getting dressed.)
The following verbs in Table 5-2 can be reflexive or nonreflexive. When the subject is
doing the action not on itself but on someone or something else, don’t use a reflexive
pronoun. When the subject is doing the action on itself, use the reflexive pronoun.
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Table 5-2
Common French Reflexive Verbs
Verb
Translation
s’appeler
to call oneself, to be named
s’arrêter
to stop oneself
s’habiller
to dress oneself, to get dressed
se baigner
to bathe oneself
se brosser
to brush oneself
se coiffer
to do/style one’s hair
se coucher
to go to bed, to put oneself to bed
se couper
to cut oneself
se laver
to wash oneself
se lever
to get up, to get oneself up
se maquiller
to put makeup on oneself
se peigner
to comb one’s hair (literally, to comb oneself )
se promener
to take oneself for a walk, to stroll
se raser
to shave oneself
se réveiller
to wake oneself up
When you use a part of the body with a reflexive verb, you need definite articles
before the part of the body rather than the possessive adjectives that you use in
English. A definite article means the in English and in French is le (masculine singular), la (feminine singular), l’ (masculine or feminine singular beginning with a vowel
or mute h), or les (masculine or feminine plural). For example, I wash my face in
French is “Je me lave la figure.” It literally means I wash the face to myself.
Now it’s your turn to take a stab. The following practice exercises can help you get a
better grasp of reflexive verbs. In these exercises, determine whether the subject is
doing the action on itself or on someone/something else. Choose the reflexive or nonreflexive verb and conjugate it in the sentence. I provide the translations in the
Answer Key.
Q. Elle _________________ (peigner/se peigner) les cheveux.
A. Elle se peigne les cheveux. (She is combing her hair.)
Q. Nous _________________ (brosser/se brosser) les dents.
A. Nous nous brossons les dents. (We are brushing our teeth.)
1. Elle _________________ (maquiller/se maquiller) la poupée.
2. Je _________________ (réveiller/se réveiller) à six heures.
3. Tu _________________ (couper/se couper) ton bifteck.
4. Ils _________________ (laver /se laver).
5. Nous _________________ (brosser/se brosser) les cheveux.
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Looking At Reciprocal Verbs
Reciprocal verbs are another type of pronominal verb and they reciprocate the action
of the subject pronouns. The meaning is each other or to each other. Nous nous
aimons (we love each other) and ils se parlent (they are speaking to each other) are
two examples. Because the subject pronoun on can often refer to a plural subject pronoun like we or even they, it can also be used in reciprocal constructions. Check out
the following examples:
On s’écrit tous les jours. (We write to each other every day.)
On se voit souvent. (We see each other often.)
Remember that even when on has a plural meaning, you always conjugate the verb in
the third person singular.
Table 5-3 lists the common reciprocal verbs.
Table 5-3
Common French Reciprocal Verbs
Verb
Translation
s’aimer
to love each other
s’écrire
to write to each other
s’embrasser
to kiss each other
se comprendre
to understand each other
se connaître
to know each other
se dire
to say to each other
se disputer
to argue with each other
se parler
to speak to each other
se promettre
to promise each other
se quitter
to leave each other
se regarder
to look at each other
se rencontrer
to meet each other
se retrouver
to find each other
se téléphoner
to call each other
se voir
to see each other
After you’ve had a chance to familiarize yourself with reciprocal verbs, take a moment
to try the following practice exercises. In these exercises, conjugate the following
verbs and then translate the sentences.
Q. Nous _________________ (se rencontrer) souvent.
A. Nous nous rencontrons souvent. (We meet each other often.)
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6. Ils _________________ (se promettre).
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. Vous _________________ (se dire) au revoir.
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. Nous _________________ (se voir).
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. On _________________ (s’écrire).
__________________________________________________________________________________
10. Elles _________________ (se comprendre).
__________________________________________________________________________________
Attempting Idiomatic Verbs
The last type of pronominal verbs is idiomatic — those verbs whose meaning can’t be
understood from the usual meaning of the verb. In other words, the same verb has
one meaning when it is nonpronominal and a different meaning when it is pronominal.
To help you understand the difference between the idiomatic and the usual meaning
of a verb, check out the following example:
Il ennuie sa soeur. (He is bothering his sister.)
Il s’ennuie. (He is bored.)
As you notice from the preceding example, when you use the verb ennuyer in its nonpronominal form, it means something completely different than in its pronominal form.
This is the case for all idiomatic pronominal verbs. These verbs become idiomatic
when you use them in their pronominal form because their meaning changes, sometimes even drastically. You can’t translate idiomatic expressions word for word
because separately they have a different meaning than when they’re idiomatic.
If you already know that ennuyer means to bother, you may have difficulty translating
il s’ennuie correctly. Why does it refer to boredom instead? That’s just the nature of
idiomatic verbs or expressions in any language. Imagine trying to tell a nonnative
English-speaker that she’s the “apple of your eye” or that you “got up on the wrong
side of the bed,” and you’ll see what I mean. To a native speaker, it’s a common
enough phrase; translated literally into another language, it doesn’t make much
sense. The bottom line: If you’re aware of what an idiom is and you try to remember
the idioms in this chapter, you’ll end up understanding more French and sounding
more like a native when you speak.
These idiomatic verbs include the pronominal pronouns, just like the reflexive and
reciprocal verbs do, and are conjugated the same way.
Table 5-4 compares the “plain” usual verb with its idiomatic counterpart.
65
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Table 5-4
Comparing the Usual Verb with the Idiomatic Verb
Usual Verb
Translation
Idiomatic Verb
Translation
aller
to go
s’en aller
to go away, to leave
amuser
to amuse, to entertain
s’amuser
to have fun
débrouiller
to disentangle
se débrouiller
to manage
demander
to ask
se demander
to wonder
dépêcher
to dispatch
se dépêcher
to hurry, to be in a hurry
douter
to doubt
se douter de
to suspect
ennuyer
to bother
s’ennuyer
to be bored
entendre
to hear
s’entendre
to get along
inquiéter
to disturb someone
s’inquiéter
to become worried
mettre
to put, to place
se mettre à + infinitive to begin (to do something)
occuper
to occupy, to hold
s’occuper de
to be in charge of,
to take care of,
to deal with
passer
to go, to pass
se passer de
to do without
rappeler
to call back
se rappeler
to remember, to recall
rendre
to give back, to return
se rendre compte de
to realize
servir
to serve
se servir de
to use
tromper
to deceive, to disappoint se tromper de
to be mistaken, to be
wrong
Try translating these sentences and conjugating the pronominal verbs.
Q. Mom takes care of the children.
A. Maman s’occupe des enfants.
11. We get along.
__________________________________________________________________________________
12. I am going away.
__________________________________________________________________________________
13. They are seeing each other.
__________________________________________________________________________________
14. David is in a hurry.
__________________________________________________________________________________
15. We are bored.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 5: Reflecting on Pronominal Verbs (Reflexive, Reciprocal, and Idiomatic)
In the following group of practice exercises, conjugate the verb and then translate the
sentence. In each question, I add some adverbs after the verbs to make the sentences
more interesting. (Check out Chapter 2 for common adverbs.)
Q. Nous _________________ (s’écrire) souvent.
__________________________________________________________________________________
A. Nous nous écrivons souvent. We write to each other often.
16. Tu _________________ (s’énerver) rarement.
__________________________________________________________________________________
17. Vous _________________ (se disputer) souvent.
__________________________________________________________________________________
18. Je _________________ (s’habiller) vite.
__________________________________________________________________________________
19. Ils _________________ (se coucher) tard.
__________________________________________________________________________________
20. Nous _________________ (s’entendre) bien.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Answer Key
In this section you can find all the answers to the problems in this chapter. I also provide
the translations for these questions to help you understand what you’re conjugating.
a
Elle maquille la poupée. (She puts makeup on the doll.)
b
Je me réveille à six heures. (I get up at 6 o’clock.)
c
Tu coupes ton bifteck. (You are cutting your steak.)
d
Ils se lavent. (They get/are getting washed.)
e
Nous nous brossons les cheveux. (We are brushing our hair.)
f
Ils se promettent. (They promise each other.)
g
Vous vous dites au revoir. (You are saying goodbye to each other.)
h
Nous nous voyons. (We see each other.)
i
On s’écrit. (We write to each other, or they write to each other.)
j
Elles se comprennent. (They understand each other.)
k
Nous nous entendons.
l
Je m’en vais.
m
Ils se voient.
n
David se dépêche.
o
Nous nous ennuyons.
p
Tu t’énerves rarement. You rarely become irritated.
q
Vous vous disputez souvent. You argue with each other often.
r
Je m’habille vite. I get dressed quickly.
s
Ils se couchent tard. They go to bed late.
t
Nous nous entendons bien. We get along well.
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Chapter 6
Forming the Present Participle
and the Gerund
In This Chapter
Explaining the present participle
Practicing gerunds
Figuring out the past present participle
H
ow do you do your daily chores? Do you work or drive to work while singing, talking,
listening to the radio, or keeping quiet? Well, you can describe how you do things as
well as why and under which circumstances with the present participle and the gerund.
In this chapter I cover the present participle, show you how to form a gerund, and then
show you how to use them.
Introducing the Present Participle
The present participle is used to express the way things are done, as well as why and how
they’re done. It expresses manner, cause, and circumstances. The present participle
answers the questions “why” and “how.” In English, it always ends in -ing — examples
include singing, walking, and so on. In French, the present participle ends in -ant — examples
include chantant and marchant. Forming the present participle is easy for regular verbs and
for most irregular verbs. Simply take the first person plural (the nous form) of any present
tense verb, drop the -ons ending, and add -ant.
(Nous) allons (We go/are going) becomes allant (going) when you drop the -ons and add
-ant to the verb.
The subject pronoun nous isn’t part of the present participle. Table 6-1 forms the present
participle for some regular and irregular verbs.
Table 6-1
Forming the Present Participle
Infinitive
Nous Form
Present Participle
aller
allons
allant (going)
appeler
appelons
appelant (calling)
commencer
commençons
commençant (beginning)
(continued)
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Table 6-1 (continued)
Infinitive
Nous Form
Present Participle
faire
faisons
faisant (doing)
finir
finissons
finissant (finishing)
manger
mangeons
mangeant (eating)
parler
parlons
parlant (speaking)
partir
partons
partant (leaving)
préférer
préférons
préférant (preferring)
prendre
prenons
prenant (taking)
vendre
vendons
vendant (selling)
venir
venons
venant (coming)
voir
voyons
voyant (seeing)
Only three verbs have an irregular present participle. They are
avoir (to have), which becomes ayant (having)
être (to be), which becomes étant (being)
savoir (to know), which becomes sachant (knowing)
Using the Present Participle
The present participle has many functions. In fact, you can use the present participle
in the following three ways:
To indicate cause or circumstances. When you use the present participle to indicate cause or circumstances, it’s always in the same form and doesn’t have to
agree with anything (such as a pronoun). For example, Comprenant le français,
j’ai regardé le film en version originale means Understanding French, I watched
the film in its original version. Ayant de l’argent, elle a pu voyager means Having
some money, she was able to travel.
As an adjective. When you use the present participle as an adjective, it agrees in
gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, C’est une histoire
intéressante means It is an interesting story.
As a noun. Some nouns in French are derived from the present participle. For
example, L’assistante du cadre est très efficace means The manager’s assistant is
very efficient. Du café Dôme, on regarde les passants means From the café
Dôme, we watch the passersby.
Now it’s your turn. Put the following verbs in the present participle. I provide the
translations in the Answer Key.
Q. Rire _________________
A. Riant (laughing)
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Chapter 6: Forming the Present Participle and the Gerund
1. Boire _________________
2. Mettre _________________
3. Savoir _________________
4. Tenir _________________
5. Ecrire _________________
6. Vouloir _________________
7. Craindre _________________
8. Faire _________________
9. Avoir _________________
10. Nager _________________
Forming the Gerund
A gerund is a verb-noun. It looks like a verb, but actually works as a noun. For example, in the sentence walking to the store is fun, walking looks like a verb, but it’s in fact
a noun. In this phrase, walking is a gerund.
In French, to form the gerund, just add the preposition en in front of the present participle. The gerund in English translates to while, by, upon, or in doing something.
Remember that the gerund often indicates a simultaneous action.
La fille chante en marchant. (The girl is singing while walking.)
Les étudiants écoutent de la musique en faisant leurs devoirs. (The students
listen to music while doing their homework.)
In this section I show you how to form the gerund as well as how you use it in French.
I then provide you with some practice problems to ensure that you understand gerunds.
Using the gerund
In addition to indicating a simultaneous action, you can use the gerund to express
manner or circumstances.
En entrant dans le bâtiment, j’ai vu Paul. (Upon/In entering the building, I saw
Paul.)
J’ai compris la situation politique en lisant les journaux. (I understood the political situation upon/in/by reading the newspapers.)
You can add tout in front of the gerund in order to make the simultaneous actions
stronger, generally to stress a contradiction. For example, Elle lit le journal tout en
regardant la télévision means She is reading the newspaper while watching television.
The gerund is also used in many famous proverbs in French. For example, C’est en
forgeant que l’on devient forgeron means It is by blacksmithing that one becomes a
blacksmith. Or as you say in English, practice makes perfect.
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
Now take the time to make your own proverbs by putting the verbs in parentheses in
the gerund form. I provide the translations in the Answer Key.
Q. C’est _________________ (faire) la cuisine que l’on devient cuisinier.
A. C’est en faisant la cuisine que l’on devient cuisinier. (It’s by cooking that one becomes a
cook.)
11. C’est _________________ (nager) que l’on devient nageur.
12. C’est _________________ (jardiner) que l’on devient jardinier.
13. C’est _________________ (peindre) que l’on devient peintre.
14. C’est _________________ (écrire) que l’on devient écrivain.
15. C’est _________________ (chanter) que l’on devient chanteur.
16. C’est _________________ (danser) que l’on devient danseur.
17. C’est _________________ (sculpter) que l’on devient sculpteur.
18. C’est _________________ (composer) que l’on devient compositeur.
19. C’est _________________ (juger) que l’on devient juge.
20. C’est _________________ (parler) beaucoup de langues que l’on devient interprète.
Pronominal verbs: Corresponding to the subject
With pronominal verbs, the pronominal pronoun corresponds to the subject. See
Chapter 5 for more information on reflexive verbs.
En nous promenant, nous avons trouvé dix euros. (While strolling/taking a walk,
we found ten euros.)
Jean s’est coupé en se rasant. (Jean cut himself while shaving.)
J’étais toujours fatiqué en me réveillant. (I was still tired in waking up.)
One general difference between the present participle and the gerund is that the present participle is linked to the noun, whereas the gerund is linked to the verb. For
example, J’ai vu Olivier sortant du café means I saw Olivier leaving the café. The
present participle is associated with Olivier, who is the noun. (Olivier was leaving the
café.) Whereas in the sentence J’ai vu Olivier en sortant du café (I saw Olivier while
[I was] leaving the café), the use of the gerund, which is linked to the verb, says that I
saw Olivier while I was leaving the café.
In the following exercises, choose between the present participle and the gerund and
fill in the blanks. I provide the translations in the Answer Key.
Q. La petite fille chante _________________ (jouer) du piano.
A. La petite fille chante en jouant du piano. (The little girl is singing while playing the piano.)
21. C’est une idée _________________ (encourager).
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Chapter 6: Forming the Present Participle and the Gerund
22. Il parle à sa femme _________________ (conduire).
23. Vous demandez pardon _________________ (savoir) que vous avez tort.
24. On maigrit _________________ (manger) moins.
25. Elle fait des gestes _________________ (raconter) des histoires.
26. Je me sens mieux _________________ (faire) de l’exercice.
27. Les enfants _________________ (sourire) ouvrent leurs cadeaux.
28. Le bébé se calme _________________ (entendre) la voix de sa mère.
29. _________________ (vouloir) apprendre l’italien, nous allons en Italie.
30. Ce sont des chiens _________________ (obéir).
Forming and Using the
Past Present Participle
The present participle also has a past form. To create this form, you need an auxiliary
verb (avoir or être), which is a verb that’s used to help form all the compound past
tenses of verbs. In English, this form is called the perfect participle and is indicated
by adding a past participle to the present participle of the auxiliary, as in the phrases
having eaten, having left, and so on. In French, simply put the auxiliaries avoir and être
in the present participle (ayant and étant) and add the past participle of the verb you
want — for example, ayant mangé (having eaten) and étant parti (having left). (Check
out Chapter 12 for more on the passé composé if you need help with the translations.)
How do you use this past form of the present participle? Use it when its action comes
before the action of the main verb.
Ayant lu l’article, il a découvert la vérité. (Having read the article, he discovered the
truth.)
Étant arrivé en retard, il a manqué le début du film. (Having arrived late, he
missed the beginning of the movie.)
Now try something challenging. Transform these sentences by changing the auxiliaries avoir and être into the present participle form and getting rid of the subject
pronoun and the conjunction, like in the example. Then translate the sentences. I give
you the past participles to help you get started.
Q. J’ai écouté la musique classique et je me suis calmé. (I listened to classical music and I
calmed down.)
A. Ayant écouté la musique classique, je me suis calmé.
Having listened to classical music, I calmed down.
31. Il avait trop mangé et il s’est endormi dans le sofa. (He had eaten too much and he fell
asleep on the sofa.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
32. Nous étions en retard et nous avons couru. (We were late and we ran.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
33. Ils avaient raté le train et ils sont rentrés en retard. (They had missed the train and they
came home late.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
34. Elle avait réussi à l’examen et elle était très heureuse. (She had passed the exam and she
was very happy.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
35. Tu étais rentré tard et tu es monté tout de suite dans ta chambre. (You had come home
late and you went to your room right away.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
36. J’étais resté dans la maison tout le weekend et je me suis ennuyé. (I had stayed home all
weekend and I was bored.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
37. Vous aviez pris une douche et vous vous êtes habillé. (You had taken a shower and you
got dressed.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
38. Il avait suivi un régime et il a maigri. (He had gone on a diet and he lost weight.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
39. J’étais tombé de l’escalier et je me suis cassé la jambe. (I had fallen from the staircase
and I broke my leg.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
40. Ils avaient fait leurs devoirs et ils sont sortis. (They had done their homework and they
went out.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 6: Forming the Present Participle and the Gerund
Answer Key
In this section I give you the answers to all the problems in this chapter. I also provide
translations to help you know what you’ve just conjugated. How did you do?
a
buvant (drinking)
b
mettant (putting)
c
sachant (knowing)
d
tenant (holding)
e
écrivant (writing)
f
voulant (wanting)
g
craignant (fearing)
h
faisant (doing)
i
ayant (having)
j
nageant (swimming)
k
C’est en nageant que l’on devient nageur. (It’s by swimming that one becomes a swimmer.)
l
C’est en jardinant que l’on devient jardinier. (It’s by gardening that one becomes a gardener.)
m
C’est en peignant que l’on devient peintre. (It’s by painting that one becomes a painter.)
n
C’est en écrivant que l’on devient écrivain. (It’s by writing that one becomes a writer.)
o
C’est en chantant que l’on devient chanteur. (It’s by singing that one becomes a singer.)
p
C’est en dansant que l’on devient danseur. (It’s by dancing that one becomes a dancer.)
q
C’est en sculptant que l’on devient sculpteur. (It’s by sculpting that one becomes a sculptor.)
r
C’est en composant que l’on devient compositeur. (It’s by composing that one becomes a
composer.)
s
C’est en jugeant que l’on devient juge. (It’s by judging that one becomes a judge.)
t
C’est en parlant beaucoup de langues que l’on devient interprète. (It’s by speaking many
languages that one becomes an interpreter.)
u
C’est une idée encourageante. (It’s an encouraging idea.)
v
Il parle à sa femme en conduisant. (He speaks to his wife while driving.)
w
Vous demandez pardon sachant que vous avez tort. (You ask for forgiveness knowing that you
are wrong.)
x
On maigrit en mangeant moins. (One loses weight by eating less.)
75
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Part I: Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative
y
Elle fait des gestes en racontant des histoires. (She makes gestures while telling stories.)
A
Je me sens mieux en faisant de l’exercice. (I feel better by exercising.)
B
Les enfants souriants ouvrent leurs cadeaux. (The smiling children open their presents.)
C
Le bébé se calme en entendant la voix de sa mère. (The baby calms himself by hearing his
mother’s voice.)
D
Voulant apprendre l’italien, nous allons en Italie. (Wanting to learn Italian, we are going to Italy.)
E
Ce sont des chiens obéissants. (They are obedient dogs.)
F
Ayant trop mangé, il s’est endormi dans le sofa.
Having eaten too much, he fell asleep on the sofa.
G
Ayant été en retard, nous avons couru.
Having been late, we ran.
H
Ayant raté le train, ils sont rentrés en retard.
Having missed the train, they came home late.
I
Ayant réussi à l’examen, elle était très heureuse.
Having passed the exam, she was very happy.
J
Etant rentré tard, tu es monté tout de suite dans ta chambre.
Having come home late, you went to your room right away.
K
Etant resté dans la maison tout le weekend, je me suis ennuyé.
Having stayed home all weekend, I was bored.
L
Ayant pris une douche, vous vous êtes habillé.
Having taken a shower, you got dressed.
M
Ayant suivi un régime, il a maigri.
Having gone on a diet, he lost weight.
N
Etant tombé de l’escalier, je me suis cassé la jambe.
Having fallen from the staircase, I broke my leg.
O
Ayant fait leurs devoirs, ils sont sortis.
Having done their homework, they went out.
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Part II
Using Verbs Correctly with
Questions, Commands,
and Such
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Y
In this part . . .
ou use verbs to ask questions, give answers, order
someone around, or order something to eat. You use
verbs for description, for action, to recount past events,
to express the future, or even to express your wishes and
desires. This part shows you how to use the verbs to ask
and answer questions (Chapter 7); to give commands
(Chapter 8); to incorporate aller (to go) and venir (to come),
and to form the immediate future and the immediate past
(Chapter 9); and to use certain verbs correctly to form some
popular expressions (Chapter 10). Furthermore, this part is
a guide to help you use certain tricky verbs correctly. Some
verbs (such as connaître and savoir) have the same meaning in English (to know) but are used differently in French.
This part tells you which French verb to choose even
though you see no distinction between them in English.
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Chapter 7
Inquisitive Minds Want to Know:
Asking and Answering Questions
In This Chapter
Asking questions with inversion
Responding in the negative
Making pronominal verbs and infinitives negative
I
n any language, being able to ask questions is important. Questions can range from the most
simple (those requiring a yes or no answer) to more complex (those requiring detailed
information, such as the date, time, and location for your party). Furthermore, you can use
many styles to ask questions, ranging from informal, conversational styles (How ya doin’?)
to the most formal styles, which you probably use mostly in writing and in polite situations
(May I inquire as to your health?). Therefore, the way you ask a question depends on the
circumstances and the environment you’re in.
French has four main ways to ask a question. They are as follows:
Intonation: The most common and conversational way of asking a question, you
simply raise your voice at the end of the sentence.
For example, Tu regardes la télé? (Are you watching television?)
N’est-ce pas: Another conversational way you can ask a question is to add this phrase
at the end of the sentence.
For example, Nous déjeunons ensemble, n’est-ce pas? (We’re having lunch together,
right?)
Est-ce que: The third conversational way of asking a question is by using this expression at the beginning of a sentence.
For example, Est-ce que tu cherches tes clés? (Are you looking for your keys?)
Inversion: The fourth way to ask a question is by inverting or switching the place of
the subject and verb and adding a hyphen.
For example, Vas-tu au cinéma ce soir? (Are you going to the movies this evening?)
In this chapter I focus on using the inversion method to ask questions. Because this book is
a verb book, I look closely at how inversion can affect the verb. This chapter also addresses
how answering a question can affect the verb.
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Part II: Using Verbs Correctly with Questions, Commands, and Such
Using Inversion to Ask Questions
Inversion means that you invert or switch the places of the subject and verb and add
a hyphen. In fact, with inversion you have to add a t in the third person singular
between the verb and the subject pronoun if the verb ends in a vowel. Although you
use inversion in conversational French, you also need to know it for formal situations,
such as in speeches, polite conversation, and writing.
Check out the following two examples. In order to turn the statement into a question,
simply switch the place of the subject and verb and add a hyphen, like so:
Tu prends le train tous les jours. (You take the train every day.)
Prends-tu le train tous les jours? (Do you take the train every day?)
Vous parlez français. (You speak French.)
Parlez-vous français? (Do you speak French?)
You usually don’t use inversion with the first person singular je. This rule has a few
exceptions, such as Puis-je? (May I?), Suis-je? (Am I?), and Sais-je? (Do I know?).
In most cases, you use est-ce que with je instead of using inversion.
Inversion with vowels
You probably already know that pronunciation is very important in French. It’s all
about sound. If two vowels meet head-to-head in an inversion, add the letter t between
the two vowels and surround it with hyphens. This only happens in the third person
singular with il, elle, and on.
Il cherche le livre. (He is looking for the book.)
Cherche-t-il le livre? (Is he looking for the book?)
If the verb doesn’t end in a vowel but the subject pronoun begins with a vowel, you
don’t add a t. You only add the t when you have two vowels head-to-head.
Il attend l’autobus. (He is waiting for the bus.)
Attend-il l’autobus? (Is he waiting for the bus?)
Note that the pronunciation of the d is a t.
You don’t need to add a t with the plural subjects ils/elles because the third person
plural verb always ends in a consonant, specifically a t.
Ils nagent bien. (They swim well.)
Nagent-ils bien? (Do they swim well?)
You try it. Use inversion to transform these statements into questions. Check out the
sample if you have any questions.
Q. Elle écoute la radio. (She is listening to the radio.)
A. Écoute-t-elle la radio? (Is she listening to the radio?)
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Chapter 7: Inquisitive Minds Want to Know: Asking and Answering Questions
1. Vous comprenez le film. (You understand the film.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Il voyage souvent. (He travels often.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Tu cherches tes clés. (You are looking for your keys.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Elle nettoie la maison. (She is cleaning the house.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Ils mangent bien. (They eat well.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Inversion with a noun
What happens when the sentence has a proper noun (or any noun for that matter) for
its subject? Keep the noun before the verb and add a subject pronoun that corresponds to the noun with a hyphen.
Marc écrit des poèmes. (Marc writes poems.)
Marc, écrit-il des poèmes? (Does Marc write poems?)
Les enfants aiment le théâtre. (The children like the theater.)
Les enfants, aiment-ils le théâtre? (Do the children like the theater?)
Inversion with pronominal verbs
Inversion is a little trickier with pronominal verbs, because you have to consider the
pronominal pronoun. (Check out Chapter 5 for the lowdown on pronominal verbs.)
Keep the pronominal pronoun exactly where it is — in front of the verb — and place
the subject pronoun after the verb, as you can see in the following examples:
Il se rase. (He is shaving.)
Se rase-t-il? (Is he shaving?)
Tu te lèves de bonne heure. (You wake up early.)
Te lèves-tu de bonne heure? (Do you wake up early?)
Because in the nous and vous forms the subject pronouns and the pronominal pronouns look exactly the same, it can be difficult to know which is which. Just remember that the pronoun after the verb and the hyphen is the subject pronoun.
Nous nous aimons. (We love each other.)
Nous aimons-nous? (Do we love each other?)
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Now it’s your turn to practice: Transform these statements into questions by using
inversion.
Q. Il s’amuse. (He is having fun.)
A. S’amuse-t-il? (Is he having fun?)
6. Tu mets ton chapeau. (You are putting on your hat.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. Nous nous dépêchons. (We are hurrying.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. Elle boit du vin. (She is drinking wine.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. Nous payons l’addition. (We are paying the check.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
10. Ils achètent un lecteur de CD. (They are buying a CD palyer.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Inversion with two verbs in a sentence
If a sentence has two verbs, how do you know which verb to invert? You invert the
conjugated verb with the subject pronoun.
Tu veux sortir. (You want to go out.)
Veux-tu sortir? (Do you want to go out?)
The same holds true for other compound verbs. For example, this rule applies to the
passé composé (see Chapter 12), where you place the subject pronoun after the auxiliary, which is the conjugated verb.
Use inversion to transform these statements into questions. Remember, that you
invert the conjugated verb with the subject pronoun.
Q. Tu vas dîner avec nous. (You are going to have dinner with us.)
A. Vas-tu dîner avec nous? (Are you going to have dinner with us?)
11. Il faut faire de l’exercice. (It is necessary to exercise.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
12. Nous pouvons chanter. (We can sing.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
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13. Ils veulent aller au cinéma. (They want to go to the movies.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
14. Géraldine va voir ses amis cet après-midi. (Géraldine is going to see her friends this
afternoon.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
15. Tu peux conduire. (You can drive.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Responding in the Negative
If you decide to answer yes to a question, you typically only have to add oui (yes) to
your answer. However, you can’t say yes all the time. Sometimes you have to refuse to
do something or express your dislike for something or someone. To do this, you use the
negative. The negative consists of two parts: ne, which is placed before the conjugated
verb, and pas, which is placed after the verb. Just think of ne . . . pas as surrounding
the conjugated verb. Pas means step, like in the ballet terms pas de deux or pas de
trois (a dance for two or a dance for three dancers). Check out the following example.
Je parle italien. (I speak Italian.)
Je ne parle pas italien. (I do not speak Italian.)
With pronominal verbs, the ne precedes the pronominal pronoun, which precedes the
verb, and you place the pas after the conjugated verb. See the following example.
Nous nous amusons. (We are having fun.)
Nous ne nous amusons pas. (We are not having fun.)
When the verb begins with a vowel or a mute h, drop the e of ne and add an apostrophe.
Elle habite à Paris. (She lives in Paris.)
Elle n’habite pas à Paris. (She doesn’t live in Paris.)
Try making the following sentences negative. Add ne before the conjugated verb and
pas after it. If the verb begins with a vowel, remember to drop the e and add an apostrophe. Also remember that when a pronoun precedes the verb, the ne precedes the
pronoun.
Q. Elle sort tous les soirs. (She goes out every evening.)
A. Elle ne sort pas tous les soirs. (She doesn’t go out every evening.)
16. Je nage bien. (I swim well.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
17. Ils comprennent la leçon. (They understand the lesson.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
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18. Nous nous ennuyons. (We are bored.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
19. Elle aime danser. (She likes to dance.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
20. Tu crains les souris. (You are afraid of mice.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
When walking the streets in France, you may hear the French stress the pas and omit
the ne. This custom is a very informal way of expressing the negative, such as Je sais
pas (I don’t know) or Je comprends pas (I don’t understand).
However, in formal writing, you may come across a sentence where the pas is eliminated, as with the verbs oser (to dare), cesser (to stop, to cease), pouvoir (to be able
to), and savoir (to know). Examples include Je n’ose vous interrompre (I don’t dare
interrupt you) and Il ne cesse de parler! (He doesn’t stop talking!)
After the negative in French, certain changes can occur with the articles. In fact,
I could write an entire chapter on just these pronouns, but I want to stay focused
on verbs, so I suggest you check out French For Dummies by Dodi-Katrin Schmidt,
Michelle M. Williams, and Dominique Wenzel (Wiley), or ask your French teacher for
extra help.
Here are some more problems for you to work on. Try making the following sentences
negative. Add ne before the conjugated verb and pas after it. If the verb begins with a
vowel, remember to drop the e and add an apostrophe. Also remember that when a
pronoun precedes the verb, the ne precedes the pronoun.
Q. Antoine attend ses amis. (Antoine is waiting for his friends.)
A. Antoine n’attend pas ses amis. (Antoine is not waiting for his friends.)
21. Tu peux venir avec nous. (You can come with us.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
22. J’essaie les choux de Bruxelles. (I’m trying Brussels sprouts.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
23. Nous avons la motocyclette de Paul. (We have Paul’s motorcycle.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
24. C’est du fromage. (It is cheese.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
25. Elle va faire les courses. (She is going to run errands.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Forming the Negative with Inversion
In the previous section, you can see how to form the negative. (You just add ne before
the conjugated verb and pas after it.) With inversion, the ne still precedes the conjugated verb, but the negative expression follows the subject pronoun, like it does in
the following examples:
Ne parle-t-il pas français? (Doesn’t he speak French? )
Ne vendent-ils pas leur maison? (Are they not selling their house? )
Corinne, ne veut-elle pas venir avec nous? (Doesn’t Corinne want to come with us? )
Make the following sentences negative. Just follow the sample Q and A.
Q. Répondez-vous aux questions? (Do you answer the questions? )
A. Ne répondez-vous pas aux questions? (Don’t you answer the questions? )
26. Philippe prend-il des médicaments? (Does Philippe take medication? )
__________________________________________________________________________________
27. Réussissent-ils aux éxamens? (Do they pass the exams? )
__________________________________________________________________________________
28. Vas-tu voyager cet été? (Are you going to travel this summer? )
__________________________________________________________________________________
29. Nous rencontrons-nous souvent? (Do we meet each other often? )
__________________________________________________________________________________
30. Avez-vous de l’argent? (Do you have any money? )
__________________________________________________________________________________
Making the Infinitive Negative
Earlier in this chapter, in the “Forming the Negative with Inversion” section, I show
you the basic negative structure (ne + conjugated verb + negative word). That basic
structure doesn’t work if you want to make an infinitive negative. If you want to say,
for example, to be or not to be, you have to put the ne and the pas together before the
infinitive. Use this structure and you come up with Être ou ne pas être (To be or not
to be). Note the negative in front of the following infinitives.
J’espère ne pas oublier mes clés. (I hope not to forget my keys.)
Il promet de ne pas fumer. (He promises not to smoke.)
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Translate the following sentences into French. Remember to make the infinitive negative. (I provide some helpful hints so that you can translate the sentence.)
Q. Nous/préférons/sortir. (We prefer not to go out.)
A. Nous préférons ne pas sortir.
31. Ils/promettre/boire. (They promise not to drink.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
32. Il/espérer/être en retard. (He hopes not to be late.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
33. Nous/détester/pouvoir/aider. (We hate not to be able to help.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
34. Tu/regretter/être en France. (You regret not to be in France.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
35. Je/essayer/rire. (I am trying not to laugh.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 7: Using Verbs Correctly when Asking and Answering Questions
Answer Key
The following section provides all the answers to the problems in this chapter.
Compare your answers to the correct answers to see how you did.
a
Comprenez-vous le film? (Do you understand the film?)
b
Voyage-t-il souvent? (Does he travel often?)
c
Cherches-tu tes clés? (Are you looking for your keys?)
d
Nettoie-t-elle la maison? (Is she cleaning the house?)
e
Mangent-ils bien? (Do they eat well?)
f
Mets-tu ton chapeau? (Are you putting on your hat?)
g
Nous dépêchons-nous? (Are we hurrying?)
h
Boit-elle du vin? (Is she drinking wine?)
i
Payons-nous l’addition? (Are we paying the check?)
j
Achètent-ils un lecteur de CD? (Are they buying a CD player?)
k
Faut-il faire de l’exercice? (Is it necessary to exercise?)
l
Pouvons-nous chanter? (Can we sing?)
m
Veulent-ils aller au cinéma? (Do they want to go to the movies?)
n
Géraldine va-t-elle voir ses amis cet après-midi? (Is Géraldine going to see her friends this
afternoon?)
o
Peux-tu conduire? (Can you drive?)
p
Je ne nage pas bien. (I don’t swim well.)
q
Ils ne comprennent pas la leçon. (They don’t understand the lesson.)
r
Nous ne nous ennuyons pas. (We aren’t bored.)
s
Elle n’aime pas danser. (She doesn’t like to dance.)
t
Tu ne crains pas les souris. (You aren’t afraid of mice.)
u
Tu ne peux pas venir avec nous. (You can’t come with us.)
v
Je n’essaie pas les choux de Bruxelles. (I’m not trying the Brussels sprouts.)
w
Nous n’avons pas la motocyclette de Paul. (We don’t have Paul’s motorcycle.)
x
Ce n’est pas du fromage. (It isn’t cheese.)
y
Elle ne va pas faire les courses. (She isn’t going to run errands.)
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A
Philippe ne prend-il pas de médicaments? (Doesn’t Philippe take medication?)
B
Ne réussissent-ils pas aux éxamens? (Don’t they pass the exams?)
C
Ne vas-tu pas voyager cet été? (Aren’t you going to travel this summer?)
D
Nous ne rencontrons-nous pas souvent? (Don’t we meet each other often?)
E
N’avez-vous pas d’argent? (Don’t you have any money?)
F
Ils promettent de ne pas boire.
G
Il espère ne pas être en retard.
H
Nous détestons ne pas pouvoir aider.
I
Tu regrettes de ne pas être en France.
J
J’essaie de ne pas rire.
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Chapter 8
Telling People What to Do: The Regular,
Irregular, and Pronominal Commands
In This Chapter
Forming the imperative with regular and irregular verbs
Making the imperative negative
Including pronominal verbs in a command
Putting pronouns in the mix to make commands
H
ow do you tell people what to do, like bring you coffee, clean your house, go to the
market, or even leave? You can tell people to do all these things and more by using
the imperative mood, more commonly known as the command.
This chapter shows you how to transform regular, irregular, and pronominal verbs into commands as well as how to create negative commands. Then I show you how to add pronouns
to your commands.
Forming Commands with Regular Verbs
The technical term for giving commands or orders is the imperative. In this chapter, I use
the terms interchangeably. You give orders in English as well as in French by using the
verb directly and eliminating the subject pronoun. For example, you may say Set the table,
Wash the dishes, and so on. In the following sections, I show you how to form commands
with regular verbs.
Making -er verbs into commands
The commands come from the tu, nous, and vous forms of the present tense. Note that the
subject pronouns are never used in the command, just their verb forms. In English, you
don’t command someone by saying You speak. Instead, you simply say Speak! It’s the same
in French.
For all -er verbs (as well as the irregular verb aller [to go]), you drop the s from the tu form
in the imperative.
This rule also applies to irregular -ir verbs, which are conjugated like regular -er verbs —
like ouvrir (to open), souffrir (to suffer), and offrir (to offer). The s reappears when the verb
is followed by the pronouns y or en for pronunciation reasons. Examples include Parles-en!
(Speak about it!), Vas-y! (Go there!), and Offres-en! (Offer some!). However, the s is dropped
in the imperative negative: N’en parle pas (Don’t speak about it!), N’y va pas! (Don’t go there!),
and N’en offre pas! (Don’t offer any!). The nous and vous forms don’t have any changes.
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Use the tu command when speaking to one person with whom you’re familiar. You use
the vous command when speaking to one person with whom you aren’t familiar, a
superior (like your boss or your professor), or someone older than you; and when
you’re speaking to more than one person. When you use the nous command, you’re
including yourself in the group. For example, Allons au centre commercial (Let’s go
to the mall).
Take a look at the verb parler (to speak) in Table 8-1 as an example of -er verbs.
Table 8-1
Parler (to speak) in the Imperative Form
Present Tense
Imperative Form
Tu parles
Parle! (Speak!)
Nous parlons
Parlons! (Let’s speak!)
Vous parlez
Parlez! (Speak!)
Try putting some regular -er verbs in their three imperative forms: tu, nous, and vous.
Check out the example problem first.
Q. Chanter (to sing) _________________ _________________ _________________
A. Chante! (Sing!), Chantons! (Let’s sing!), Chantez! (Sing!)
1. Arrêter (to stop) _________________ _________________ _________________
2. Regarder (to watch) _________________ _________________ _________________
3. Écouter (to listen) _________________ _________________ _________________
4. Décider (to decide) _________________ _________________ _________________
5. Répéter (to repeat) _________________ _________________ _________________
Making -ir verbs into commands
Regular -ir verbs follow the same pattern in commands as the verbs that end in -er.
You use the tu, nous, and vous forms of the verbs without the subject pronouns.
Unlike the -er verbs, however, you don’t drop the s from the verb in the tu form.
Check out Table 8-2 for an example of -ir verbs in the imperative.
Table 8-2
Finir (to finish) in the Imperative Form
Present Tense
Imperative Form
Tu finis
Finis! (Finish!)
Nous finissons
Finissons! (Let’s finish!)
Vous finissez
Finissez! (Finish!)
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Chapter 8: Telling People What to Do: The Regular, Irregular, and Pronominal Commands
Put the following -ir verbs in the imperative form. For each question, write out the tu,
nous, and vous forms.
Q. Réunir (to reunite) _________________ _________________ _________________
A. Réunis! (Reunite!), Réunissons! (Let’s reunite!), Réunissez! (Reunite!)
6. Choisir (to choose) _________________ _________________ _________________
7. Réfléchir (to think) _________________ _________________ _________________
8. Obéir (to obey) _________________ _________________ _________________
9. Applaudir (to applaud) _________________ _________________ _________________
10. Réussir (to succeed) _________________ _________________ _________________
Making -re verbs into commands
The -re verbs are no different than the -ir and -re verbs in the command form. Just
take the tu, nous, and vous forms of the present tense and drop the subject pronouns. Take a look at Table 8-3 for an example -re verb.
Table 8-3
Attendre (to wait) in the Imperative Form
Present Tense
Imperative Form
Tu attends
Attends! (Wait!)
Nous attendons
Attendons! (Let’s wait!)
Vous attendez
Attendez! (Wait!)
Try putting regular -re verbs in their imperative tu, nous, and vous forms.
Q. Défendre (to defend) _________________ _________________ _________________
A. Défends! (Defend!), Défendons! (Let’s defend!), Défendez! (Defend!)
11. Descendre (to go downstairs) _________________ _________________ _________________
12. Répondre (to answer) _________________ _________________ _________________
13. Vendre (to sell) _________________ _________________ _________________
14. Rendre (to give back) _________________ _________________ _________________
15. Entendre (to hear) _________________ _________________ _________________
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Forming Commands with Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs work exactly the same way as regular verbs (see the previous section). All you have to worry about is remembering the conjugation of the irregular
verbs and you can put them in the tu, nous, and vous forms. (You can find the conjugation of the irregular verbs in Chapter 4.) Check out the examples in Table 8-4 and
Table 8-5.
Table 8-4
Prendre (to take) in the Imperative Form
Present Tense
Imperative Form
Tu prends
Prends! (Take!)
Nous prenons
Prenons! (Let’s take!)
Vous prenez
Prenez! (Take!)
Table 8-5
Lire (to read ) in the Imperative Form
Present Tense
Imperative Form
Tu lis
Lis! (Read!)
Nous lisons
Lisons! (Let’s read!)
Vous lisez
Lisez! (Read!)
As you can see, even most irregular verbs have the same pattern as the regular verbs.
That is, you use their tu, nous, and vous present tense verb forms, minus the subject
pronouns. Try putting the following verbs in the imperative form.
Q. Écrire (to write) _________________ _________________ _________________
A. Écris! (Write!), Écrivons! (Let’s write!), Écrivez! (Write!)
16. Faire (to do, to make) _________________ _________________ _________________
17. Aller (to go) _________________ _________________ _________________
18. Sortir (to go out) _________________ _________________ _________________
19. Venir (to come) _________________ _________________ _________________
20. Dormir (to sleep) _________________ _________________ _________________
Four irregular verbs, however, also have irregular imperative forms, which are not the
same as their present tenses. Check out Tables 8-6, 8-7, 8-8, and 8-9 to see these verbs.
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Chapter 8: Telling People What to Do: The Regular, Irregular, and Pronominal Commands
Avoir (to have) in the Imperative Form
Table 8-6
Present Tense
Imperative Form
Tu as
Aie! (Have . . .!)
Nous avons
Ayons! (Let’s have . . .!)
Vous avez
Ayez! (Have . . .!)
Être (to be) in the Imperative Form
Table 8-7
Present Tense
Imperative Form
Tu es
Sois! (Be . . .!)
Nous sommes
Soyons! (Let’s be . . .!)
Vous êtes
Soyez! (Be . . .!)
Table 8-8
Savoir (to know) in the Imperative Form
Present Tense
Imperative Form
Tu sais
Sache! (Know . . .!)
Nous savons
Sachons! (Let’s know . . .!)
Vous savez
Sachez! (Know . . .!)
Table 8-9
Vouloir (to want) in the Imperative Form
Present Tense
Imperative Form
Tu veux
Veuille! (Please . . .!)
Nous voulons
Veuillons! (Please . . .!)
Vous voulez
Veuillez! (Please . . .!)
For the verb vouloir, you mostly use the veuillez form when giving commands, and
you usually follow it with the infinitive. This word is a polite way to give commands
and is often translated as please, as it is with Veuillez entrer (Please come in) and
Veuillez me suivre (Please follow me).
Put the following verbs in their imperative forms for the subject pronoun indicated in
parentheses.
Q. Fermer la porte. (nous)
A. Fermons la porte! (Let’s close the door!)
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21. Être gentil. (tu)
__________________________________________________________________________________
22. Obéir à tes parents. (tu)
__________________________________________________________________________________
23. Manger. (nous)
__________________________________________________________________________________
24. Faire vos devoirs. (vous)
__________________________________________________________________________________
25. Avoir de la patience. (tu)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Creating the Negative Imperative
What if you want to tell people not to do something? Imagine telling your little sister,
your child, or even your dog not to do something. For example, you tell them don’t
yell, don’t run, and don’t touch. This section shows you how to use the negative command. In order to use the negative command, just add ne before the imperative form
and pas or any other negative expression after the imperative form. (For more on the
negative, look at Chapter 7.) Check out the following examples.
Ne parle pas! (Don’t speak!)
Ne parlons pas! (Let’s not speak!)
If the verb begins with a vowel or a mute h, drop the e from ne and add an
apostrophe.
N’attends pas! (Don’t wait!)
N’attendons pas! (Let’s not wait!)
Note that when the infinitive is negative, the ne and pas are placed together and they
precede the infinitive.
Veuillez ne pas fumer! (Please don’t smoke!)
Veuillez ne pas toucher! (Please don’t touch!)
Put the following verbs in the negative imperative for the tu, nous, or vous form, as
indicated in parentheses.
Q. Ne pas venir. (vous) __________________________________
A. Ne venez pas! (Don’t come!)
26. Ne pas commencer les devoirs. (nous)
__________________________________________________________________________________
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27. Ne pas dormir. (tu)
__________________________________________________________________________________
28. Ne pas mettre les pieds sur la table. (tu)
__________________________________________________________________________________
29. Ne pas aller au magasin. (nous)
__________________________________________________________________________________
30. Ne pas téléphoner à Marc. (tu)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Using Pronominal Verbs to Make Commands
You eliminate the subject pronouns in the imperative form, but you still have to keep
the pronominal pronouns when you’re working with pronominal verbs (see Chapter 5
for the lowdown on pronominal verbs). In the affirmative imperative, the pronominal
pronouns follow a verb-hyphen combination. In the negative imperative, the pronominal pronouns precede the verb. Note: Ne precedes the pronouns and pas follows the
verb. Check out the following example in Table 8-10.
Table 8-10
Se Lever (to get up) in the Imperative Form
Present Tense
Affirmative Imperative
Negative Imperative
Tu te lèves
Lève-toi! (Get up!)
Ne te lève pas! (Don’t get up!)
Nous nous levons
Levons-nous! (Let’s get up!)
Ne nous levons pas! (Let’s not get up!)
Vous vous levez
Levez-vous! (Get up!)
Ne vous levez pas! (Don’t get up!)
Note that the pronominal pronoun te becomes toi in the imperative affirmative but
then returns to being te in the negative. If the verb begins with a vowel or a mute h,
drop the e from te and add an apostrophe. An example is the verb s’habiller (to get
dressed), which you can see in Table 8-11. (Both se lever and s’habiller are -er verbs,
so remember to drop the s from the tu form of their present conjugation.)
Table 8-11
S’habiller (to get dressed) in the Imperative Form
Present Tense
Affirmative Imperative
Negative Imperative
Tu t’habilles
Habille-toi!
(Get dressed!)
Ne t’habille pas!
(Don’t get dressed!)
Nous nous habillons
Habillons-nous!
(Let’s get dressed!)
Ne nous habillons pas!
(Let’s not get dressed!)
Vous vous habillez
Habillez-vous!
(Get dressed!)
Ne vous habillez pas!
(Don’t get dressed!)
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Now it’s your turn. Put the following pronominal verbs in the three imperative forms,
first in the affirmative and then in the negative.
Q. Se maquiller (to put on makeup)
A. (tu) Maquille-toi! (Put on makeup!), Ne te maquille pas! (Don’t put on makeup!)
(nous) Maquillons-nous! (Let’s put on makeup!), Ne nous maquillons pas! (Let’s not put
on makeup!)
(vous) Maquillez-vous! (Put on makeup!), Ne vous maquillez pas! (Don’t put on makeup!)
31. Se coucher (to go to bed)
(tu) _________________ _________________
(nous) _________________ _________________
(vous) _________________ _________________
32. Se réveiller (to wake up)
(tu) _________________ _________________
(nous) _________________ _________________
(vous) _________________ _________________
33. Se laver (to get washed)
(tu) _________________ _________________
(nous) _________________ _________________
(vous) _________________ _________________
34. Se brosser les dents (to brush one’s teeth)
(tu) _________________ _________________
(nous) _________________ _________________
(vous) _________________ _________________
35. Se raser (to shave)
(tu) _________________ _________________
(nous) _________________ _________________
(vous) _________________ _________________
Adding Pronouns to Commands
If you want to add pronouns to commands, with comments such as take it, give it to
us, or offer her some, use the verb in the imperative affirmative and then the pronoun,
and you join the two with a hyphen. Use the following order separated by hyphens:
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Verb in the imperative- + direct object- + indirect object- + y- + en
You never use all these pronouns at once, but you often use two of them, and this
chart shows the order you use them in. For example, to say give it to her, put the verb
in the imperative, add a hyphen, the direct object, another hyphen, and the indirect
object, like so: Donne-le-lui!
Before you practice adding pronouns to commands, you need to know the direct and
indirect object pronouns. Table 8-12 lists them with their English counterparts.
Table 8-12
Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns
Direct Object
Pronoun (English)
Direct Object
Pronoun (French)
Indirect Object
Pronoun (English)
Indirect Object
Pronoun (French)
me
me
to me
me
you
te
to you
te
him/it (masculine singular)
le
to him
lui
her/it (feminine singular)
la
to her
lui
us
nous
to us
nous
you
vous
to you
vous
them
les
to them
leur
In the negative command, the ne precedes the pronoun or pronouns and the pas or
another negative word follows the verb in the command form. Check out the following examples of affirmative and negative imperatives with direct and indirect object
pronouns.
Parle-lui! (Speak to him/her!), Ne lui parle pas! (Don’t speak to him/her!)
Finis-le! (Finish it!), Ne le finis pas! (Don’t finish it!)
Commençons-la! (Let’s begin it!), Ne la commençons pas! (Let’s not begin it!)
Écrivez-nous! (Write to us!), Ne nous écrivez pas! (Don’t write to us!)
The following are examples of both direct and indirect objects together. Note that the
direct object precedes the indirect object and that me and te change to moi and toi
when they’re at the end of the imperative construction. In the negative, however, they
go back to me and te. Note: You usually never have more than two pronouns in a sentence, but Figure 8-1 shows the order the pronouns come in.
Donnez-les-moi! (Give them to me!), Ne me les donnez pas! (Don’t give them to me!)
Envoyons-le-leur! (Let’s send it to them!), Ne le leur envoyons pas! (Let’s not send
it to them!)
Vends-les-nous! (Sell them to us!), Ne nous les vends pas! (Don’t sell them to us!)
Figure 8-1:
The order of
pronouns for
the negative
commands.
ne
me
te
+ se +
nous
vous
le
lui
la +
leur
les
+
y
+
en +
verb
+ pas
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Part II: Using Verbs Correctly with Questions, Commands, and Such
The pronoun y means there or in it and is a pronoun of place. It replaces phrases
starting with prepositions of place such as à, en, dans, sur, sous, and à + noun
(things, not people). For example, à + la musique means in music in the sentence Je
m’intéresse à la musique (I am interested in music). You replace à la musique with y.
The pronoun en replaces the prepositions de, du, de l’, and des + noun, and it means
some, any, from there, or of them, depending on what it’s replacing.
Offres-en! (Offer some!), N’en offre pas! (Don’t offer any!)
Prends-en! (Take some!), N’en prends pas! (Don’t take any!)
Allons-y! (Let’s go [there]!), N’y allons pas! (Let’s not go [there]!)
Don’t forget to add the s to the tu form of -er verbs if the pronoun begins with a vowel
and the verb ends in a vowel. However, in the negative, the s is dropped.
Entres-y! (Enter [there]!), N’y entre pas! (Don’t enter [there]!)
Check out these examples with more added pronouns.
Mets-les-y! (Put them there!), Ne les y mets pas! (Don’t put them there!)
Parlez-lui-en! (Speak to him/her about it!), Ne lui en parlez pas! (Don’t speak to
him/her about it!)
Place-l’y! (Place it there!), Ne l’y place pas! (Don’t place it there!)
Translate the following sentences by putting the verb in the imperative form and
adding the appropriate pronouns by looking at Table 8-12. (Remember that some
verbs are transitive in French but intransitive in English and vice versa, so check out
Chapter 1 if you need additional help.)
Q. Let’s ask him!
A. Demandons-lui!
36. Finish them!
__________________________________________________________________________________
37. Let’s speak to them!
__________________________________________________________________________________
38. Go there!
__________________________________________________________________________________
39. Open it!
__________________________________________________________________________________
40. Close it!
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 8: Telling People What to Do: The Regular, Irregular, and Pronominal Commands
Answer Key
This section provides the answers for all the problems in this chapter. Compare your
answers to the correct ones. How did you do? Remember that some of these verbs
usually appear with a noun, so the literal translation may appear a bit odd.
a
Arrête! (Stop!), Arrêtons! (Let’s stop!), Arrêtez! (Stop!)
b
Regarde! (Watch!), Regardons! (Let’s watch!), Regardez! (Watch!)
c
Écoute! (Listen!), Écoutons! (Let’s listen!), Écoutez! (Listen!)
d
Décide! (Decide!), Décidons! (Let’s decide!), Décidez! (Decide!)
e
Répète! (Repeat!), Répétons! (Let’s repeat!), Répétez! (Repeat!)
f
Choisis! (Choose!), Choisissons! (Let’s choose!), Choisissez! (Choose!)
g
Réfléchis! (Think!), Réfléchissons! (Let’s think!), Réfléchissez! (Think!)
h
Obéis! (Obey!), Obéissons! (Let’s obey!), Obéissez! (Obey!)
i
Applaudis! (Applaud!), Applaudissons! (Let’s applaud!), Applaudissez! (Applaud!)
j
Réussis! (Succeed!), Réussissons! (Let’s succeed!), Réussissez! (Succeed!)
k
Descends! (Go down [the stairs]!), Descendons! (Let’s go down [the stairs]!), Descendez!
(Go down [the stairs]!)
l
Réponds! (Answer!), Répondons! (Let’s answer!), Répondez! (Answer!)
m
Vends! (Sell!), Vendons! (Let’s sell!), Vendez! (Sell!)
n
Rends! (Give back!), Rendons! (Let’s give back!), Rendez! (Give back!)
o
Entends! (Hear!), Entendons! (Let’s hear!), Entendez! (Hear!)
p
Fais! (Do!), Faisons! (Let’s do!), Faites! (Do!)
q
Va! (Go!), Allons! (Let’s go!), Allez! (Go!)
r
Sors! (Go out!), Sortons! (Let’s go out!), Sortez! (Go out!)
s
Viens! (Come!), Venons! (Let’s come!), Venez! (Come!)
t
Dors! (Sleep!), Dormons! (Let’s sleep!), Dormez! (Sleep!)
u
Sois gentil! (Be nice!)
v
Obéis à tes parents! (Obey your parents!)
w
Mangeons! (Let’s eat!)
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x
Faites vos devoirs! (Do your homework!)
y
Aie de la patience! (Have patience!)
A
Ne commençons pas les devoirs! (Let’s not begin the homework!)
B
Ne dors pas! (Don’t sleep!)
C
Ne mets pas les pieds sur la table! (Don’t put your feet on the table!)
D
N’allons pas au magasin! (Let’s not go to the store!)
E
Ne téléphone pas à Marc! (Don’t call Marc!)
F
(tu) Couche-toi! (Go to bed!), Ne te couche pas! (Don’t go to bed!)
(nous) Couchons-nous! (Let’s go to bed!), Ne nous couchons pas! (Let’s not go to bed!)
(vous) Couchez-vous! (Go to bed!), Ne vous couchez pas! (Don’t go to bed!)
G
(tu) Réveille-toi! (Wake up!), Ne te réveille pas! (Don’t wake up!)
(nous) Réveillons-nous! (Let’s wake up!), Ne nous réveillons pas! (Let’s not wake up!)
(vous) Réveillez-vous! (Wake up!), Ne vous réveillez pas! (Don’t wake up!)
H
(tu) Lave-toi! (Wash yourself!), Ne te lave pas! (Don’t wash yourself!)
(nous) Lavons-nous! (Let’s wash ourselves!), Ne nous lavons pas! (Let’s not wash ourselves!)
(vous) Lavez-vous! (Wash yourself/yourselves!), Ne vous lavez pas! (Don’t wash yourself/
yourselves!)
I
(tu) Brosse-toi les dents! (Brush your teeth!), Ne te brosse pas les dents! (Don’t brush your teeth!)
(nous) Brossons-nous les dents! (Let’s brush our teeth!), Ne nous brossons pas les dents!
(Let’s not brush our teeth!)
(vous) Brossez-vous les dents! (Brush your teeth!), Ne vous brossez pas les dents! (Don’t brush
your teeth!)
J
(tu) Rase-toi! (Shave!), Ne te rase pas! (Don’t shave!)
(nous) Rasons-nous! (Let’s shave!), Ne nous rasons pas! (Let’s not shave!)
(vous) Rasez-vous! (Shave!), Ne vous rasez pas! (Don’t shave!)
K
Finis-les! Or, Finissez-les!
L
Parlons-leur!
M
Vas-y! Or, Allez-y!
N
Ouvre-le/la! Or, Ouvrez-le/la!
O
Ferme-le/la! Or, Fermez-le/la!
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Chapter 9
Looking Forward and Back:
The Immediate Future and Past
In This Chapter
Forming the immediate future
Forming the immediate past
Using prepositions with verbs of coming and going
T
he two types of future tense are the simple future, which I discuss in Chapter 15, and the
immediate future, which I talk about in this chapter. Although the two types of future
tenses can be and are used interchangeably, you use the immediate future to express something that you’re going to do pretty soon in the future, as the name indicates. Similarly to the
immediate future, the immediate past expresses actions that you’ve just done. For example,
I have just taken a test or She has just eaten. In this chapter, I show you how to form the
immediate future and the immediate past.
Creating the Immediate Future Tense
In order to form the immediate future, conjugate the verb aller (to go) in the present tense
and add the infinitive of a verb of your choice. Because aller is an irregular verb, check out
the following conjugations in the present tense to refresh your memory.
aller (to go)
je vais
nous allons
tu vas
vous allez
il/elle/on va
ils/elles vont
Now add an infinitive to form the immediate future. The following examples show you how
to do it.
Je vais lire. (I’m going to read.)
Nous allons sortir. (We are going to go out.)
To construct the immediate future with pronominal verbs, place the pronominal pronoun,
which agrees with the subject, before the infinitive.
Je vais me promener dans le parc. (I’m going to walk in the park.)
Elle va se reposer. (She is going to rest.)
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In order to make the immediate future negative, simply place ne before the conjugated
aller and pas, or any other negative word you want to use, after the conjugated verb.
Nous n’allons pas voyager cet été. (We are not going to travel this summer.)
Now take the time to try it. Work through the following practice problems and conjugate the verb so that the sentence is in the immediate future tense.
Q. Je dors. (I am sleeping.)
A. Je vais dormir. (I am going to sleep.)
1. Il mange.
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Nous nageons.
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Tu ne travailles pas.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Les clients paient.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Elle se maquille.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Creating the Immediate Past Tense
Just like the immediate future (see the previous section), you also have an immediate
past tense, which you use when you’ve just done something. Form the immediate
past tense with the verb venir conjugated in the present tense, the preposition de,
and the infinitive (venir de + infinitive). (Note that the immediate future has no
preposition in front of the infinitive, but the immediate past does). Venir by itself
means to come, but when it’s followed by de + infinitive, it means to have just done
something. I conjugate venir in the present tense for you in the following table.
venir (to come)
je viens
nous venons
tu viens
vous venez
il/elle/on vient
ils/elles viennent
Nous venons d’acheter les billets. (We have just bought the tickets.)
How do you construct the immediate past with pronominal verbs? (Check out
Chapter 5 for a complete discussion on pronominal verbs in the present tense.)
Just place the pronominal pronoun before the infinitive, like so:
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Chapter 9: Looking Forward and Back: The Immediate Future and Past
Je viens de me réveiller. (I just woke up.)
Elle vient de se coucher. (She has just gone to bed.)
In order to make the immediate past negative, simply place ne before the conjugated
verb (venir) and pas, or any other negative word you want to use, after the conjugated verb.
Ils ne viennent pas de manger. (They have not just eaten.)
Transform the following sentences from the present to the immediate past, as in the
example. If the sentence is negative, keep it negative in your answer.
Q. Nous jouons au tennis. (We are playing tennis.)
A. Nous venons de jouer au tennis. (We have just played tennis.)
6. Il se coupe les cheveux.
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. Vous attendez.
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. Je pleure.
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. Je me mets à travailler.
__________________________________________________________________________________
10. Elle se coiffe.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Going and Coming with Aller and Venir
How do you go to the movies or the market and most importantly, how do you come
back from these and other places? Well, you use the same verbs you did to form the
immediate future and the immediate past (see the two previous sections), but they’re
followed by nouns instead of by infinitives. In this section, I show you what prepositions to use to get to where you are going aller (to go) and what prepositions you use
to come back venir (to come).
Going to and coming back
Go anywhere you want to go by adding the preposition à to aller, thus forming aller à
(to go to).
Je vais au cinéma. (I am going to the movies.)
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The preposition à contracts with the definite article le (masculine singular) to form
au and with the plural les to form aux. It doesn’t contract with the feminine singular
la or with the l’.
Tu vas à la banque. (You are going to the bank.)
Now that you can go anywhere in town, how do you get back? You get back with the
verb venir and the preposition de, which means to come (back) from.
Je viens du marché. (I’m coming back from the market.)
Elle vient de l’école. (She’s coming back from school.)
The same types of transformations occur with the preposition de as with the preposition à. The two contractions are de + le, which form du, and de + les, which form des.
Table 9-1 shows you a list of the two prepositions with the definite articles so that
you can keep track of them when you use them.
Table 9-1
Combining Definite Articles and Prepositions
Preposition
Definite Article
Combined Form
à
le
au
à
la
à la
à
l’
à l’
à
les
aux
de
le
du
de
la
de la
de
l’
de l’
de
les
des
Before you work on the practice problems, review this list of places around town that
you can go to and come back from.
l’aéroport (the airport)
l’église (the church)
la banque (the bank)
l’épicerie (the grocery store)
la bibliothèque (the library)
la gare (the train station)
la boîte de nuit (the nightclub)
le grand magasin (the department store)
la boulangerie (the bakery)
l’hôtel (the hotel)
le café (the café)
la librairie (the bookstore)
le centre commercial (the mall)
le lycée (high school)
le cinéma (the movies)
le magasin (the store)
le club (the club)
la maison (the house)
le collège (middle school)
le marché (the market)
l’école (the school)
le musée (the museum)
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Chapter 9: Looking Forward and Back: The Immediate Future and Past
l’opéra (the opera)
le restaurant (the restaurant)
la pharmacie (the pharmacy)
le stade (the stadium)
la piscine (the swimming pool)
le supermarché (the supermarket)
la plage (the beach)
le théâtre (the theater)
la poste (the post office)
Go to the following places and come back by conjugating the verbs aller in the first
sentence and venir in the second sentence. Make sure you add the correct prepositions. Check out the example. I provide the translations in the Answer Key.
Q. Il _________________ le lycée.
__________________________________________________________________________________
A. Il va au lycée. (He is going to high school.)
Il vient du lycée. (He is coming back from high school.)
11. Nous _________________ le magasin.
__________________________________________________________________________________
12. Ils _________________ la pharmacie.
__________________________________________________________________________________
13. Ma sœur _________________ le centre commercial.
__________________________________________________________________________________
14. Papa _________________ la gare.
__________________________________________________________________________________
15. Tu _________________ la librairie.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Going to and coming from
If you want to get out of town and go to Morocco or Australia, for example, you need
the verbs aller and venir again. All you have to do is change the prepositions. To go
to any city, use the preposition à + the name of the city. To come back, use the preposition de + the name of the city. Most islands follow this rule as well.
Je vais à Bruxelles. (I am going to Brussels.)
Je viens de Bruxelles. (I come/am coming from Brussels.)
Je vais à Hawaii. (I am going to Hawaii.)
Je viens d’Hawaii. (I come/am coming from Hawaii.)
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Part II: Using Verbs Correctly with Questions, Commands, and Such
Countries, provinces, and states are divided into masculine, feminine, and plural
nouns. What determines gender for these geographic areas is a matter of spelling.
Aside from some exceptions, countries, provinces, and states that end in an e or
begin with a vowel are considered feminine, and they use the prepositions en (to, in,
at) and de (from). Those that don’t end in an e or that begin with a consonant are considered masculine, and they use the prepositions au (to, in, at) and du (from).
For plural countries like the United States, use aux (to, in, at) and des (from).
Nous allons en France. (We are going to France.)
Nous venons de France. (We are coming from France.)
Tu vas au Canada. (You are going to Canada.)
Tu viens du Canada. (You are coming from Canada.)
Il va aux Pays-Bas. (He is going to the Netherlands.)
Il vient des Pays-Bas. (He’s coming from the Netherlands.)
Table 9-2 puts everything together.
Table 9-2
Prepositions to Use for Going and Coming
Location
Prepositions Examples of
for Going to Going Verbs
or Being in
Prepositions Examples of
for Coming Coming Verbs
from
Cities and
islands
à
de
Je vais à Paris.
Je vais à Tahiti.
Je viens de Paris.
Je viens de Tahiti.
Countries,
en
states,
provinces, and
continents that
end in e or begin
with a vowel
Je vais en Grèce.
de
Je vais en Californie.
Je vais en Normandie.
Je viens de Grèce.
Je viens de Californie.
Je viens de Normandie.
Countries,
states, and
provinces that
begin with a
consonant
Je vais au Canada.
Je vais au Texas.
Je vais au Québec.
Je viens du Canada.
Je viens du Texas.
Je viens du Québec.
au
Plural countries aux
du
Je vais aux États-Unis. des
Je vais aux Pays-Bas.
Je viens des États-Unis.
Je viens des Pays-Bas.
Table 9-2 shows the general rules for verbs of coming and going, but some exceptions
do exist. Some cities have an article in conjunction with the preposition. For example,
if you want to say I am going to or am in New Orleans, Mans, Havre, and Cairo, you
say à la Nouvelle Orléans, au Mans, au Havre, au Caire. And if you’re coming from
these places, de la Nouvelle Orléans, du Mans, du Havre, du Caire. Also, some
countries do end in an e but are considered masculine. For example, if you go to or
are in Mexico, you say au Mexique, and coming back from Mexico is du Mexique.
Form sentences by conjugating the verbs and putting in the correct preposition. I provide the translations in the Answer Key.
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Chapter 9: Looking Forward and Back: The Immediate Future and Past
Q. Nous __________________________________ (aller/Irlande).
A. Nous allons en Irlande. (We are going to Ireland.)
16. Mes parents __________________________________ (aller/Tunisie).
17. Tu __________________________________ (aller/Suisse).
18. Nous __________________________________ (venir/Sénégal).
19. Mon assistante __________________________________ (venir/San Francisco).
20. Vous __________________________________ (venir/Chine).
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Answer Key
This section contains the answers for all the practice problems in this chapter.
Compare your answers to see how well you did.
a
Il va manger. (He is going to eat.)
b
Nous allons nager. (We are going to swim.)
c
Tu ne vas pas travailler. (You are not going to work.)
d
Les clients vont payer. (The clients are going to pay.)
e
Elle va se maquiller. (She is going to put on makeup.)
f
Il vient de se couper les cheveux. (He has just cut his hair.)
g
Vous venez d’attendre. (You have just waited.)
h
Je viens de pleurer. (I have just cried.)
i
Je viens de me mettre à travailler. (I have just begun to work.)
j
Elle vient de se coiffer. (She has just done her hair.)
k
Nous allons au magasin. (We are going to the store.)
Nous venons du magasin. (We are coming back from the store.)
l
Ils vont à la pharmacie. (They are going to the drugstore.)
Ils viennent de la pharmacie. (They are coming back from the drugstore.)
m
Ma sœur va au centre commercial. (My sister is going to the mall.)
Ma sœur vient du centre commercial. (My sister is coming back from the mall.)
n
Papa va à la gare. (Dad is going to the train station.)
Papa vient de la gare. (Dad is coming from the train station.)
o
Tu vas à la librairie. (You are going to the bookstore.)
Tu viens de la librarie. (You are coming back from the bookstore.)
p
Mes parents vont en Tunisie. (My parents are going to Tunisia.)
q
Tu vas en Suisse. (You are going to Switzerland.)
r
Nous venons du Sénégal. (We are coming back from Senegal.)
s
Mon assistante vient de San Francisco. (My assistant comes from San Francisco.)
t
Vous venez de Chine. (You come from China.)
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Chapter 10
Correctly Using Often Misused Verbs
in Daily Conversation
In This Chapter
Knowing the verbs connaître and savoir
Identifying the differences between jouer à and jouer de
Forming expressions with avoir
Understanding how to use faire
E
very language has different ways of saying things and of expressing yourself that can’t
be translated into another language word for word. French is no exception. For instance
the phrases How are you doing? or How are you? are expressed in French not by the verbs
faire (to do, to make) or être (to be), but by the verb aller (to go). To ask these questions in
French, you say Comment allez-vous? or Comment vas-tu?
In this chapter, I focus on some verbs that have the same meaning in English, but different
usage in French. You want to make sure you use the right verb so that people know what
you’re talking about. I also cover two common verbs: avoir (to have) and faire (to do, to
make) and how you can correctly utilize these verbs in your conversations. (You can also
check out Chapter 23, which focuses on ten often-misused verbs.)
Knowing the Difference between
Connaître and Savoir
French has two verbs that mean to know. One is connaître, and the other is savoir. Even
though the English language translates them the same, the French language uses them in
different circumstances. In this section, I show you how to use each verb. Both verbs are
irregular.
connaître (to know)
je connais
nous connaissons
tu connais
vous connaissez
il/elle/on connaît
ils/elles connaissent
Je connais Aix-en-Provence. (I know Aix-en-Provence.)
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savoir (to know)
je sais
nous savons
tu sais
vous savez
il/elle/on sait
ils/elles savent
Nous savons la date de ton anniversaire. (We know your birthday.)
So are you wondering what the differences are between the two verbs? Well, you use
the two verbs with different types of information. For example, use connaître when
you mean to know or to be acquainted with a person, a place, or a thing. Meanwhile,
use savoir when you mean to know a fact, to know something by heart, or to know
specific information, such as a telephone number, an address, or someone’s name.
You can also use savoir with the clauses in Table 10-1.
Clauses That Use Savoir (to know)
Table 10-1
Common Clause
Translation
Example
Translation
savoir à quelle
heure
to know (at)
what time
Je sais à quelle
heure il va venir.
I know (at) what time he is
going to come.
savoir combien
to know
how much
Je sais combien
ça coûte.
I know how much that
costs.
savoir comment
to know how
Je sais comment
conjuguer connaître.
I know how to conjugate
connaître.
savoir où
to know where
Je sais où est la
classe.
I know where the class is.
savoir pourquoi
to know why
Je sais pourquoi
Henri est en retard.
I know why Henri is late.
savoir quand
to know when
Je sais quand le
train part.
I know when the train is
leaving.
savoir que
to know that
Je sais que tu aimes
le chocolat.
I know that you like
chocolate.
savoir quel, quelle,
quels, quelles
to know which
Je sais quelle heure
il est.
I know what time it is.
savoir qui
to know who
Je sais qui est là.
I know who is there.
savoir si
to know if
Je sais si tu
regardes la télé.
I know if you’re watching TV.
To say I know! or I don’t know, you simply say Je sais or Je ne sais pas.
You can also follow savoir with an infinitive, but you can’t do that with connaître.
In this way, savoir means to know how to do something. For example, Tu sais parler
français means You know how to speak French, and Nous savons faire du ski means
We know how to ski.
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Which verb, connaître or savoir, do you use in the following sentences? Conjugate
the verbs and translate the sentences.
Q. Les enfants _________________ compter en français.
A. Les enfants savent compter en français. (The children know how to count in French.)
1. Est-ce que tu _________________ New York?
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Marie ne _________________ pas parler japonais.
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Nous _________________ où il habite.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Ils ne _________________ pas la famille du professeur.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Vous _________________ conduire.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Identifying What to Play
Jouer is a regular -er verb that is used with different prepositions in order to convey
either playing a sport or playing a musical instrument. More specifically, jouer à is used
with sports and jouer de with instruments. If the sport or instrument is masculine,
make the necessary contractions: à + le = au; de + le = du. See the following examples.
Je joue au tennis. (I play tennis.)
Je joue du piano. (I play the piano.)
Check out Table 10-2 for playing other sports and games or playing other instruments.
Table 10-2
The Different Ways to Play
Jouer à (+ sports or games)
Jouer de (+ instruments)
Je joue au basket(ball). (I play basketball.)
Je joue du saxophone. (I play the saxophone.)
Je joue au foot. (I play soccer.)
Je joue du violon. (I play the violin.)
Je joue au volley. (I play volleyball.)
Je joue de la batterie. (I play the drums.)
Je joue au golf. (I play golf.)
Je joue de la flûte. (I play the flute.)
Je joue au hockey. (I play hockey.)
Je joue de la guitare. (I play the guitar.)
Je joue au bridge. (I play bridge.)
Je joue de la trompette. (I play the trumpet.)
(continued)
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Table 10-2 (continued)
Jouer à (+ sports or games)
Jouer de (+ instruments)
Je joue aux cartes. (I play cards.)
Je joue du violoncelle. (I play the cello.)
Je joue aux dames. (I play checkers.)
Je joue de la basse. (I play bass.)
Je joue aux échecs. (I play chess.)
Je joue de la clarinette. (I play the clarinet.)
In the negative, the prepositions à, au, à la, à l’, and aux don’t change. However, du,
de la, de l’, and des do change to de or d’ after the negative, such as Je ne joue pas
de piano, which means I don’t play the piano.
Now, it’s your turn. Conjugate the verb jouer (to play) and provide the correct prepositions. Translate the following sentences.
Q. Mon père _________________ (jouer) golf.
A. Mon père joue au golf. My father plays golf.
6. Georges _________________ (jouer) violon.
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. Ils _________________ (ne pas jouer) batterie.
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. Je _________________ (jouer) échecs.
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. Mon frère _________________ (jouer) guitare.
__________________________________________________________________________________
10. Les enfants _________________ (jouer) basketball.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Keeping Avoir and Faire in Line
French has two very important verbs, avoir (to have) and faire (to do, to make), that
are responsible for many sentence formations. From these two simple verbs you can
form dozens of everyday expressions.
This section looks at each verb, avoir and faire, and helps you with any questions
you may have. I show you the correct conjugations (you can also find them in
Chapter 4) as well as several common expressions formed with these two verbs.
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Using avoir
The verb avoir is very versatile in French and has several meanings in English. This verb
is living proof that translating literally from one language to another doesn’t always
work. Check out the conjugation in the present tense.
avoir (to have)
j’ai
nous avons
tu as
vous avez
il/elle/on a
ils/elles ont
Ils ont trois enfants. (They have three children.)
In French, one isn’t a certain age, but has a certain age. Therefore, the question How
old are you? is What age do you have? In French if someone asks you Quel âge as-tu/
avez-vous? (How old are you?), you respond as follows: J’ai (your age) ans. For example, J’ai vingt ans (I am 20 years old).
Check out Table 10-3 for other important avoir expressions.
Table 10-3
Important Avoir Expressions
Avoir Expression
Translation
avoir faim
to be hungry
avoir soif
to be thirsty
avoir sommeil
to be sleepy
avoir tort (de)
to be wrong
avoir raison (de)
to be right
avoir chaud
to be hot
avoir froid
to be cold
avoir peur (de)
to be afraid (of)
avoir besoin de
to need
avoir envie de
to want, to feel like
avoir l’intention de
to have the intention of
avoir l’habitude de
to be accustomed to, to be used to
avoir l’occasion de
to have the chance to, to have the opportunity to
avoir de la chance
to be lucky
avoir honte (de)
to be ashamed of
avoir mal (à + a part of the body)
to ache, to have pain in a part of the body
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Part II: Using Verbs Correctly with Questions, Commands, and Such
You can use the expressions in Table 10-3 with the preposition de in parentheses
alone or followed by an infinitive or a noun. For example, J’ai tort means I am wrong
and J’ai tort de mentir means I am wrong to lie. When these expressions are followed
by an infinitive, you must use the preposition de in front of the infinitive, as in the following examples:
J’ai l’occasion de voyager cet été. (I have the chance/the opportunity to travel this
summer.)
Nous avons l’habitude de sortir le samedi soir. (We are used [accustomed] to
going out Saturday evenings.)
Avoir besoin de and avoir envie de can be followed by an infinitive or a noun. In
either case, the preposition de is necessary before the infinitive or the noun.
Tu as besoin d’étudier. (You need to study.)
J’ai envie de chanter. (I feel like singing.)
J’ai envie de chocolat. (I feel like chocolate.)
To make these expressions negative, add ne before the verb and pas or another negative word after it.
Je n’ai pas envie de chanter. (I don’t feel like singing.)
You can also add adverbs to these sentences. Check out French For Dummies by DodiKatrin Schmidt, Michelle M. Williams, and Dominique Wenzel (Wiley) for more specific
information about French grammar.
The expression avoir mal is the only one from the list in Table 10-3 that’s followed by
the preposition à. Conjugate the verb avoir in the present and add mal, the preposition à, and the part of the body that’s hurting now. For example, if you have a backache, you say J’ai mal au dos. The preposition à is followed by the part of the body
that is hurting along with the definite article.
J’ai mal aux pieds. (My feet hurt.)
J’ai mal à l’épaule. (My shoulder hurts.)
Now translate some of these expressions into French.
Q. He doesn’t feel like going out.
A. Il n’a pas envie de sortir.
11. We are thirsty.
__________________________________________________________________________________
12. They are right.
__________________________________________________________________________________
13. You need to read.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 10: Correctly Using Often Misused Verbs in Daily Conversation
14. Michael is lucky.
__________________________________________________________________________________
15. Her head hurts.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Trying faire
Another important verb used in many common expressions is faire (to do, to make).
You need to know how to correctly use it because it’s very versatile and can be used
to express playing both an instrument and a sport without switching prepositions.
This section shows you how to conjugate it and then provides numerous expressions
using this verb.
faire (to do, to make)
je fais
nous faisons
tu fais
vous faites
il/elle/on fait
ils/elles font
Il fait du tennis. (He plays tennis.)
Table 10-4 shows many of the ways that you can use faire when talking about sports
as well as instruments. When you use faire with sports and instruments, remember
that it has the same meaning as the verb jouer à or de (to play). These two verbs are
used interchangeably. However, remember to use the correct prepositions. Unlike
jouer, faire is followed by the preposition de whether you’re talking about a sport or
an instrument.
Table 10-4
Using Faire with Sports and Instruments
Faire Expression
Translation
faire de l’alpinisme
to mountain climb
faire de la planche à voile
to windsurf
faire de la voile
to sail, sailing
faire des randonnées
to hike
faire du baseball
to play baseball
faire du foot, football
to play soccer
faire du football américan
to play football
faire du karaté
to do karate
faire du ski
to ski
faire du tennis
to play tennis
(continued)
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Table 10-4 (continued)
Faire Expression
Translation
faire du vélo
to ride a bike
faire du volley
to play volleyball
faire de la batterie
to play the drums
faire de la flûte
to play the flute
faire de la guitare
to play the guitar
faire de la trompette
to play the trumpet
faire du piano
to play the piano
faire du saxophone
to play the saxophone
faire du violon
to play the violin
In addition to sports and instruments, you can also use faire in other ways. Table 10-5
shows many common expressions that utilize faire.
Table 10-5
Faire in Everyday Conversation
Faire Expression
Translation
faire attention
to pay attention
faire la connaissance de
to make someone’s acquaintance
faire la cuisine
to cook, to do the cooking
faire la grasse matinée
to sleep in late
faire la lessive
to do laundry
faire la liste
to make a list
faire la queue
to form a line, to wait in line
faire la sieste
to take a nap
faire la vaisselle
to do the dishes
faire le marché
to do the shopping
faire le ménage
to do the housework
faire les courses
to run errands, to do the shopping
faire les devoirs
to do the homework
faire les provisions
to do the grocery shopping
faire les valises/bagages
to pack
faire un voyage
to take a trip
faire une promenade
to take a walk/stroll
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Translate the following sentences and correctly conjugate faire in the appropriate
form. Remember that some may have more than one answer. (I provide the most
common answer in the answer key.)
Q. The baby is taking a nap.
A. Le bébé fait la sieste.
16. My mother does the cooking.
__________________________________________________________________________________
17. The children do the dishes.
__________________________________________________________________________________
18. I play tennis.
__________________________________________________________________________________
19. We pay attention.
__________________________________________________________________________________
20. You sleep in late.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Answer Key
This section contains all the answers for the practice problems in this chapter.
Compare your answers to the correct answers to see how you fared.
a
Est-ce que tu connais New York? Do you know New York?
b
Marie ne sait pas parler japonais. Marie doesn’t know how to speak Japanese.
c
Nous savons où il habite. We know where he lives.
d
Ils ne connaissent pas la famille du professeur. They don’t know the professor’s family.
e
Vous savez conduire. You know how to drive.
f
Georges joue du violon. Georges plays the violin.
g
Ils ne jouent pas de batterie. They don’t play the drums.
h
Je joue aux échecs. I play chess.
i
Mon frère joue de la guitare. My brother plays the guitar.
j
Les enfants jouent au basketball. The children play basketball.
k
Nous avons soif.
l
Ils ont raison.
m
Tu as besoin de lire.
n
Michael a de la chance.
o
Elle a mal à la tête.
p
Ma mère fait la cuisine.
q
Les enfants font la vaisselle.
r
Je fais du tennis.
s
Nous faisons attention.
t
Tu fais la grasse matinée.
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Part III
Taking a Look Back:
The Past Tenses
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H
In this part . . .
umankind can’t live on bread alone, and a language
isn’t nearly as interesting or as complete if it has only
one tense. Think of the confusion just one tense could
cause — how would you tell your friends whether you’re
waiting for them at the restaurant now, will be waiting for
them later, or were waiting for them earlier? In this part,
you look at how to form the many past tenses in French:
the imperfect, the passé composé (compound past), the
pluperfect, and the passé simple (the simple past). You can
use these past tenses to recount, or describe, events in
the past, such as your childhood, your high school prom,
your family’s last vacation, or even the movie you saw last
weekend. Sometimes, you may even want to explain the
sequence of past events, those that happened prior to other
past events. That’s why you need all those different past
tenses, all of which are introduced in this part one by one.
So go ahead, reminisce! You can do it with the past tenses.
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Chapter 11
No Tense Is Perfect:
The Imperfect Tense
In This Chapter
Forming the imperfect with regular, irregular, and pronominal verbs
Using the imperfect tense
D
o you ever get nostalgic about the past? Do you want to be able to say what you used
to do when you were a child, to describe a wonderful family tradition, or to recall how
blue the sky was on your favorite vacation? Well, you can with the imperfect tense. You use
the imperfect tense to describe a continuous or habitual action in the past, or an action that
you did a nonspecific number of times. The English translation of the imperfect is was doing
something, used to do something, or would do something in the past. Note: One of the translations of the imperfect tense in English is would. However this translation isn’t the same as
the would of the conditional tense, which expresses the present and the future. An example
of the would in the imperfect is Quand j’habitais à Paris, je prenais souvent le métro (When I
lived in Paris, I would often take the train). (See Chapter 17 for more on the conditional tense.)
This chapter shows you how to form the imperfect tense for regular, irregular, and pronominal verbs, as well as the many ways you can correctly use the tense.
Making Regular Verbs Imperfect
The imperfect is a simple tense to form; the verb is conjugated by itself without an auxiliary.
The stem for the imperfect comes from the nous form of the present tense of the verb,
minus the -ons. This rule applies to all regular, irregular, and pronominal -er, -ir, and -re
verbs. (Check out Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 for more about the present tense.) Only one verb,
être (to be), is irregular in the imperfect tense; the stem is ét (check out “The one true irregular imperfect verb — être” later in this chapter). However, the endings are all the same,
even for this irregular verb. The imperfect endings are as follows:
Imperfect Tense Verb Endings
je -ais
nous -ions
tu -ais
vous -iez
il/elle/on -ait
ils/elles -aient
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Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tense
So the imperfect tense conjugations for a regular verb are as follows:
parler (to speak)
Present-tense nous form: parlons
je parlais
nous parlions
tu parlais
vous parliez
il/elle/on parlait
ils/elles parlaient
Il parlait à ses parents. (He was speaking to his parents.)
finir (to finish)
Present-tense nous form: finissons
je finissais
nous finissions
tu finissais
vous finissiez
il/elle/on finissait
ils/elles finissaient
Je finissais mon déjeuner. (I was finishing my lunch.)
vendre (to sell)
Present-tense nous form: vendons
je vendais
nous vendions
tu vendais
vous vendiez
il/elle/on vendait
ils/elles vendaient
Nous vendions notre maison. (We were selling our house.)
Pronominal verbs don’t pose a problem either. Just remember to add the pronominal
pronouns (see Chapter 5 for a refresher on pronominal verbs). The stem and the endings are the same as those of the nonpronominal verbs.
se promener (to take a walk/a stroll)
Present-tense nous form: nous nous promenons
je me promenais
nous nous promenions
tu te promenais
vous vous promeniez
il/elle/on se promenait
ils/elles se promenaient
Je me promenais chaque jour. (I would/used to take a walk every day.)
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Now it’s your turn to try. Conjugate the following verbs into the imperfect tense.
Q. Tu _________________ (chercher) les enfants.
A. Tu cherchais les enfants. (You were looking for/were picking up the children.)
1. Nous _________________ (répondre) aux questions.
2. Mes parents nous _________________ (punir).
3. Corinne _________________ (chanter) bien.
4. Je _________________ (perdre) toujours mes clés.
5. Vous _________________ (travailler) beaucoup.
6. Les enfants _________________ (se coucher) à 8 heures.
7. Philippe _________________ (marcher) six kilomètres.
8. Nous _________________ (se réunir) régulièrement.
9. Tu _________________ (arriver) à l’heure.
10. Je _________________ (choisir) le train.
Forming the Imperfect with Irregular Verbs
Unlike many of the other tenses, irregular verbs (see Chapter 4) aren’t irregular in the
imperfect tense. In fact, even the irregular verbs are regular in the imperfect tense,
albeit with one major exception. This section focuses on the regular irregular verbs as
well as the true irregular verb in the imperfect tense.
To create the imperfect tense of irregular verbs, simply take their nous form, drop the
-ons, and add the appropriate endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, and -aient. Check out
Table 11-1, which lists several verbs in their nous form.
Table 11-1
Nous Forms of Irregular Verbs
Infinitive
Nous form
Stem
aller (to go)
Nous allons
all
avoir (to have)
Nous avons
av
boire (to drink)
Nous buvons
buv
craindre (to fear)
Nous craignons
craign
croire (to believe)
Nous croyons
croy
(continued)
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Table 11-1 (continued)
devoir (to owe, to have to, must)
Nous devons
dev
dire (to say)
Nous disons
dis
écrire (to write)
Nous écrivons
écriv
faire (to do, to make)
Nous faisons
fais
lire (to read)
Nous lisons
lis
mettre (to put, to place)
Nous mettons
mett
ouvrir (to open)
Nous ouvrons
ouvr
partir (to leave)
Nous partons
part
pouvoir (to be able to)
Nous pouvons
pouv
prendre (to take)
Nous prenons
pren
recevoir (to receive)
Nous recevons
recev
venir (to come)
Nous venons
ven
voir (to see)
Nous voyons
voy
vouloir (to want to)
Nous voulons
voul
Il pouvait travailler. (He was able to work.)
Conjugate the following verbs into the imperfect tense.
Q. Les étudiants _________________ (dire) la vérité.
A. Les étudiants disaient la vérité. (The students were telling the truth.)
11. Nous _________________ (prendre) des notes.
12. Je _________________ (sortir) tous les soirs.
13. Vous _________________ (lire) des romans.
14. Les enfants _________________ (craindre) des moustiques.
15. Tu _________________ (boire) du vin.
16. Nous _________________ (s’écrire) quelquefois.
17. Mathilde _________________ (faire) des études.
18. Vous _________________ (croire) aux contes de fées.
19. Je _________________ (recevoir) des cadeaux.
20. Nous _________________ (vouloir) partir.
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Chapter 11: No Tense Is Perfect: The Imperfect Tense
“Eyeing” verb stems
What if the stem of the verb in the nous form ends in an i, like étudier (to study), rire
(to smile), or crier (to scream)? Just keep the i and add the endings. Doing so may
look funny to native English speakers, especially in the nous and vous forms in the
imperfect, but the rules of the imperfect never change. Look at the following example.
étudier (to study)
Present-tense nous form: étudions
j’étudiais
nous étudiions
tu étudiais
vous étudiiez
il/elle/on étudiait
ils/elles étudiaient
Il étudiait. (He was studying.)
Working with -cer and -ger verbs
Verbs that end in -cer and -ger also have imperfect forms. These imperfect forms use the
same endings (from the present-tense nous form) as other imperfect verbs, but you have
to remember the rules that you use for the present tense. To make their nous form, for
the -cer verbs, you need to add the cedilla on the c, and for the -ger verbs, you add the e
before the ons. In Chapter 3, I explain why and when the cedilla and the e are added to
the present tense. In the imperfect, the pronunciations of the c and the g aren’t affected
when followed by an i but are affected when followed by an a. How does this affect
the imperfect form of these types of verbs? Check out the following examples.
commencer (to begin)
Present-tense nous form: commençons
je commençais
nous commencions
tu commençais
vous commenciez
il/elle/on commençait
ils/elles commençaient
Nous commencions à jouer. (We were beginning to play.)
manger (to eat)
Present-tense nous form: mangeons
je mangeais
nous mangions
tu mangeais
vous mangiez
il/elle/on mangeait
ils/elles mangeaient
Ils mangeaient des croissants chaque jour.
(They would eat croissants every day.)
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The one true irregular imperfect verb — être
Only one French verb has an irregular stem: être (to be). The stem of être isn’t
derived from its nous form but from the stem ét. Its endings, however, are regular.
être (to be)
j’étais
nous étions
tu étais
vous étiez
il/elle/on était
ils/elles étaient
Elle était occupée. (She was busy.)
Put the verbs in parentheses in the imperfect tense.
Q. Ils _________________ (annoncer) leurs fiançailles.
A. Ils annonçaient leurs fiançailles. (They were announcing/would announce their
engagement.)
21. Tu _________________ (aller) au marché.
22. Ils _________________ (acheter) du pain.
23. Elle _________________ (lire).
24. Nous _________________ (travailler).
25. Je _________________ (nager).
26. Vous _________________ (s’ennuyer).
27. Tu _________________ (faire) de la voile.
28. Nous _________________ (rire).
29. Il _________________ (neiger).
30. Je _________________ (conduire).
Using the Imperfect
You can use the imperfect tense in many different situations. For example, you can
use it to express a habitual and continuous action in the past as well as in all kinds of
descriptions. You can recall what the weather was like, what someone was wearing,
or what the surroundings you’re describing were like. Because of its versatility, the
imperfect tense has many meanings in English. You can translate it as used to, would,
was, were, was doing, or were doing something. You can choose whichever translation
best suits what you want to say.
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This section looks at the main ways that you can use the imperfect tense. Check out
Table 11-2 to see some specific expressions that imply a general and nonspecific time
in the past. These expressions usually indicate a habitual and continuous action.
Expressing habitual and continuous actions
Habitual action means something that you would do or used to do over and over
again for an unspecified number of times. The following example illustrates how you
use imperfect verbs to express habitual and continuous actions. (The French verbs
are bolded; the English translation verbs are italicized.) Remember that you can also
say used to instead of would in the translation.
Chez ses grands-parents, Michelle jouait tous les jours avec ses petits cousins, et
nageait dans la mer. Sa grand-mère préparait toujours des repas délicieux qui
sentaient si bons. Le soir, ses grands-parents amenaient Michelle au centre ville
et lui achetaient de la glace. Puis, ils s’asseyaient à la terrasse d’un café et ils
regardaient les gens qui passaient.
At her grandparents’ house, Michelle would play every day with her little cousins
and would swim in the sea. Her grandmother would always prepare delicious
meals, which smelled so good. In the evenings, her grandparents would bring
Michelle to town and would buy her ice cream. Then, they would sit at the terrace
of the café and watch the people who would pass by.
Table 11-2
Common Expressions in the Imperfect Tense
Expression
Translation
autrefois
in the past
chaque année
chaque fois
chaque jour
chaque mois
chaque semaine
each year
each time
each day
each month
each week
d’habitude/habituellement
usually
en général/généralement
in general/generally
le lundi
le mardi
le mercredi
le jeudi
le vendredi
le samedi
le dimanche
le weekend
on Mondays, or every Monday
on Tuesdays, or every Tuesday
on Wednesdays, or every Wednesday
on Thursdays, or every Thursday
on Fridays, or every Friday
on Saturdays, or every Saturday
on Sundays, or every Sunday
on the weekends, or every weekend
quelquefois
sometimes, at times
souvent
often
toujours/tout le temps
always
tous les ans
tous les jours
tous les mois
toutes les semaines
every year
every day
every month
every week
127
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Form sentences in the past from the given elements. Remember to put the verb in the
imperfect tense.
Q. Elle/choisir/toujours/le coq au vin.
A. Elle choisissait toujours le coq au vin. (She would always choose the coq au vin.)
31. Autrefois/je/prendre/le train. (In the past, I used to/would take the train.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
32. Nous/aller/à l’école/tous les jours. (We used to/would go to school every day.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
33. Ils/jouer/au golf/le weekend. (They would play golf on the weekends.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
34. Je/faire/souvent/des promenades. (I would often take walks.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
35. D’habitude/il/rencontrer/ses amis/au café. (Usually, he would meet his friends at the café.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
36. Vous/se dépêcher/tout le temps. (You were always in a hurry.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
37. Le vendredi/elle/sortir/avec ses amis. (On Fridays she would go out with her friends.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
38. Nous/partir/en vacances/chaque été. (We would leave for vacation each summer.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
39. Tu/manger/toujours vite. (You would always eat quickly.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
40. En général/les étudiants/parler/français en classe. (Generally, the students would speak
French in class.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Describing the past
If you want to set the background of the past by describing physical, mental, and
emotional conditions, then you use the imperfect tense. These conditions include the
description of weather, scenery, appearances, and feelings. Some examples include
what the beach looked like from your hotel window, what your best friend was wearing at yesterday’s party, or what you were thinking when you first met the love of
your life.
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Chapter 11: No Tense Is Perfect: The Imperfect Tense
The following paragraph provides an example. All the imperfect verbs are bolded in
the French version and italicized in the English translation.
Quand Michelle était jeune, elle passait tous les étés avec ses grands-parents
qui habitaient en Provence. Parce qu’il faisait toujours très chaud, elle portait
toujours un chapeau pour la protéger du soleil. Elle pensait qu’elle voulait y
rester toute sa vie.
When Michelle was young, she would spend all the summers with her grandparents who lived/used to live in Provence. Because it was always very hot, she would
wear a hat to protect her from the sun. She thought that she wanted to stay there
all her life.
Interrupting actions in progress
What if you were doing something and all of a sudden something happened and interrupted what you were doing? For example, you were watching a great movie when
your children came in asking for a snack. Here, you would use two tenses, the imperfect of the verb to watch (were watching) and the completed past (see Chapter 12) of
the verb to come (came).
Je regardais un très bon film quand mes enfants sont venus me demander un
casse-croûte. (I was watching a very good film when my children came in asking me
for a snack.)
Les enfants jouaient au foot quand il a commencé à pleuvoir. (The children were
playing soccer when it began to rain.)
In the second example, were playing is in the imperfect tense and began is in the
passé composé, which is a completed action in the past. (Check out Chapter 12 for
more on the passé composé.)
Using the imperfect with certain constructions
You use the imperfect tense with the following constructions in order to express
ongoing actions in the past: être en train de (to be in the middle of something) and
venir de + infinitive (to have just done something).
Elle était en train de faire la cuisine quand elle a brûlé la sauce. (She was in the
middle of cooking when she burned the sauce.)
Nous venions de travailler toute la journée alors nous étions fatigués (We had just
worked the whole day so we were tired.)
Describing simultaneous actions
When two actions occur at the same time in the past, the imperfect tense is used for
both verbs in order to express continuous simultaneous action. Usually, the expression pendant que (while) is used to link these two actions.
Il conduisait pendant que je lisais la carte routière. (He was driving while I was
reading the directions.)
Tu jouais au tennis pendant qu’il nageait. (You were playing tennis while he was
swimming.)
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Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tense
Making suggestions and expressing wishes
You can use the imperfect tense to make suggestions to your friends, your parents,
your spouse, or your children, or to express a wish. You can do this by using si (if)
followed by the imperfect. Check out the following examples.
Si nous allions au cinéma? (What if we went to the movies? or How about going to
the movies?)
Si tu étais un peu plus patient! (If only you were a little more patient!)
Hypothesizing with the imperfect
The imperfect is part of a construction of a hypothetical sentence. A hypothetical
sentence is composed of two clauses, the si (if) clause and the result clause. You use
the imperfect in the si clause and the conditional tense in the result clause (see
Chapter 17 for more on hypothetical sentences). Check out the following example:
Si j’avais de l’argent, je voyagerais. (If I had money/were to have money, I would
travel.)
Avais is in the imperfect tense and voyagerais is in the conditional tense.
Match the following sentences with one of the categories that best describes it. Write
the appropriate letter in each blank. I show you how in the example.
Q. Il jouait du piano pendant qu’elle chantait.
A. e. Simultaneous action
41. _____ Quand j’étais à Paris, je prenais
toujours le métro.
a. Description of weather and time
42. _____ Si on faisait un pique-nique?
b. Physical and mental description
43. _____ Il pleuvait en avril.
c. Habitual action
44. _____ Nous étudiions pendant que tu
regardais la télévision.
d. Interrupted action
45. _____ Je lisais quand le téléphone a
sonné.
e. Simultaneous action
46. _____ Elle portait une robe blanche et
un chapeau rose.
f. Wishing or suggesting with si
47. _____ Tu écrivais toujours à tes amis.
48. _____ Ils mangeaient quand je suis entré.
49. _____ Il faisait beau en été mais il
neigeait beaucoup en hiver.
50. _____ Je pensais qu’il était formidable.
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Chapter 11: No Tense Is Perfect: The Imperfect Tense
Answer Key
This section contains all the answers to the practice problems in this chapter. Compare
your answers with the correct answers. Remember that the imperfect tense has several
meanings in English: were doing something, used to do something, or would do something.
The choice often depends on the context or connotation of the sentence.
a
Nous répondions aux questions. (We were answering/would answer the questions.)
b
Mes parents nous punissaient. (My parents used to punish/would punish us.)
c
Corinne chantait bien. (Corinne used to sing well.)
d
Je perdais toujours mes clés. (I would always lose my keys.)
e
Vous travailliez beaucoup. (You were working a lot.)
f
Les enfants se couchaient à 8 heures. (The children would go to bed at 8 o’clock.)
g
Philippe marchait six kilomètres. (Philippe would walk six kilometers.)
h
Nous nous réunissions régulièrement. (We would reunite regularly.)
i
Tu arrivais à l’heure. (You used to arrive on time.)
j
Je choisissais le train. (I would choose the train.)
k
Nous prenions des notes. (We would take notes.)
l
Je sortais tous les soirs. (I used to go out every evening.)
m
Vous lisiez des romans. (You used to read novels.)
n
Les enfants craignaient des moustiques. (The children used to fear mosquitoes.)
o
Tu buvais du vin. (You used to drink wine.)
p
Nous nous écrivions quelquefois. (We would write to each other sometimes.)
q
Mathilde faisait des études. (Mathilde was taking classes.)
r
Vous croyiez aux contes de fées. (You used to believe in fairy tales.)
s
Je recevais des cadeaux. (I used to receive gifts.)
t
Nous voulions partir. (We wanted to leave.)
u
Tu allais au marché. (You used to go to the market.)
v
Ils achetaient du pain. (They were buying bread.)
w
Elle lisait. (She was reading.)
x
Nous travaillions. (We were working.)
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Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tense
y
Je nageais. (I was swimming.)
A
Vous vous ennuyiez. (You were getting bored.)
B
Tu faisais de la voile. (You were sailing/used to sail.)
C
Nous riions. (We were laughing.)
D
Il neigeait. (It was snowing.)
E
Je conduisais. (I was driving.)
F
Autrefois je prenais le train.
G
Nous allions à l’école tous les jours.
H
Ils jouaient au golf le weekend.
I
Je faisais souvent des promenades.
J
D’habitude il rencontrait ses amis au café.
K
Vous vous dépêchiez tout le temps.
L
Le vendredi elle sortait avec ses amis.
M
Nous partions en vacances chaque été.
N
Tu mangeais toujours vite.
O
En général, les étudiants parlaient français en classe.
P
c.
Q
f.
R
a.
S
e.
T
d.
U
b.
V
c.
W
d.
X
a.
Y
b.
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Chapter 12
Comprehending the Passé Composé
and the Pluperfect Tenses
In This Chapter
Making the passé composé with avoir
Forming the passé composé with être
Knowing how to say no in the passé composé
Making the pluperfect
U
nlike the imperfect tense, which describes what was happening (see Chapter 11), the
passé composé recounts events that have already taken place and at a specific time in
the past. You use the passé composé to express a completed action in the past. For example, with this tense you can recount what you have done and accomplished, where you’ve
been, and the people you’ve met yesterday, last week, last month, or even years ago.
Meanwhile, the pluperfect tense is closely related because it’s also a compound past tense
just like the passé composé. However, it describes events that have taken place even before
the passé composé. The meaning of the pluperfect in English is had. For example, Nous
avions déjà mangé quand papa est rentré means We had already eaten when dad came
home. Had eaten is in the pluperfect and came is in the passé composé because one action
happened before the other action.
This chapter shows you how to form the passé composé and pluperfect tenses and provides plenty of opportunities for you to practice them.
Forming the Passé Composé
The passé composé, as the name indicates, is a compound tense made up of an auxiliary
verb and a past participle. The French language has only two auxiliaries: avoir (to have) and
être (to be).
To form the passé composé, you first conjugate the auxiliaries in the present tense and then
add the past participle. (Sounds simple enough, right?) To make it even easier, remember
that most verbs take the auxiliary avoir. However, certain verbs, especially those that
express motion, such as aller (to go), partir (to leave), and venir (to come) take être. I start
with verbs that take avoir as their auxiliary.
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Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tense
avoir (to have)
j’ai
nous avons
tu as
vous avez
il/elle/on a
ils/elles ont
J’ai trois enfants. (I have three children.)
Regular verbs and the passé composé
To form the past participle of regular -er verbs, such as parler (to speak), simply drop
the r and add an accent aigu to the e, like so: é (parlé). Now add this past participle
to the auxiliary and you’ve formed the past tense.
The passé composé has three meanings in English. For example, J’ai parlé means I
spoke, I have spoken, and I did speak. Even verbs with spelling changes (see Chapter 3),
such as jeter (to throw), acheter (to buy), essayer (to try), and espérer (to hope), have a
regular past participle. Simply drop the r from the infinitive and add accent aigu to the
e, like so: jeté, acheté, essayé, and espéré.
For the regular -ir verbs, such as finir (to finish), simply drop the -r and voilà: fini. Finally,
for the regular -re verbs, like vendre (to sell), drop the -re and add a u, to get vendu.
To form the passé composé, you take the present tense of the auxiliary verb and add
the appropriate past participle. Check out the following tables that provide examples
of three verbs in the passé composé, conjugated in their entirety. Note that each has
avoir as its auxiliary.
parler (to speak)
j’ai parlé
nous avons parlé
tu as parlé
vous avez parlé
il/elle/on a parlé
ils/elles ont parlé
Nous avons parlé aux enfants. (We spoke to the children.)
finir (to finish)
j’ai fini
nous avons fini
tu as fini
vous avez fini
il/elle/on a fini
ils/elles ont fini
Elle a fini ses devoirs. (She finished her homework.)
vendre (to sell)
j’ai vendu
nous avons vendu
tu as vendu
vous avez vendu
il/elle/on a vendu
ils/elles ont vendu
Les étudiants ont vendu leurs livres. (The students sold their books.)
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Chapter 12: Comprehending the Passé Composé and the Pluperfect Tenses
Now it’s your turn. Put the following verbs in the passé composé. (Check out the
sample problem if you need any clarification.)
Q. Nous _________________ (nettoyer) la maison.
A. Nous avons nettoyé la maison. (We cleaned the house.)
1. Tu _________________ (rendre) les livres.
2. Elle _________________ (voyager).
3. Nous _________________ (choisir).
4. Ils _________________ (dîner).
5. Je _________________ (étudier).
6. Vous _________________ (réussir).
7. Ils _________________ (vendre) leur voiture.
8. Tu _________________ (perdre) tes clés.
9. Nous _________________ (travailler).
10. Elle _________________ (réfléchir).
Irregular verbs and the passé composé
Many French verbs have an irregular past participle. Usually, if a verb is irregular in the
present tense (like the verbs presented in Chapter 4), then it also has an irregular past
participle. However, irregular verbs that follow the same conjugation pattern as partir
(to leave) have regular past participles. These verbs include sortir (to go out), dormir
(to sleep), mentir (to lie), servir (to serve), and aller (to go). For the -ir verbs like partir,
just drop the r, and for the verb aller, drop the r and add an accent aigu on the e. I
group the verbs with an irregular past participle here according to their endings. The
previous section explains that you form the past participle of regular -re verbs by dropping the -re and adding a u. Many irregular verbs (those ending in -oir, -re, or -ir) have
a past participle that also ends in u. Table 12-1 lists the irregular verbs and their past
participles that end in u.
Table 12-1
Irregular Verbs and Their Past Participles Ending in u
Infinitive
Past Participle
apercevoir (to see, to perceive)
aperçu
appartenir (to belong to)
appartenu
avoir (to have)
eu
battre (to beat)
battu
boire (to drink)
bu
(continued)
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Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tense
Table 12-1 (continued)
Infinitive
Past Participle
connaître (to know)
connu
convaincre (to convince)
convaincu
courir (to run)
couru
croire (to believe)
cru
décevoir (to disappoint)
déçu
devenir (to become)
devenu
devoir (to owe, to have to)
dû
falloir (to be necessary, to have to)
fallu
lire (to read)
lu
paraître (to appear)
paru
plaire (to please)
plu
pleuvoir (to rain)
plu
pouvoir (to be able to)
pu
recevoir (to receive)
reçu
revenir (to come back)
revenu
savoir (to know)
su
tenir (to hold)
tenu
venir (to come)
venu
vivre (to live)
vécu
voir (to see)
vu
vouloir (to want)
voulu
Some past participles end in t. Table 12-2 shows those verbs along with their past
participles.
Table 12-2
Irregular Verbs and Their Past Participles Ending in t
Infinitive
Past Participle
conduire (to drive)
conduit
construire (to construct, to build)
construit
couvrir (to cover)
couvert
dire (to say)
dit
écrire (to write)
écrit
faire (to do, to make)
fait
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Chapter 12: Comprehending the Passé Composé and the Pluperfect Tenses
Infinitive
Past Participle
inscrire (to note, to write down)
inscrit
offrir (to offer)
offert
ouvrir (to open)
ouvert
souffrir (to suffer)
souffert
Table 12-3 lists some irregular verbs whose past participles end in s. Note that you
create the past participle the same way for any verb that ends in -mettre or -prendre.
Table 12-3
Irregular Verbs and Their Past Participles Ending in s
Infinitive
Past Participle
mettre (to put, to place)
mis
admettre (to admit)
admis
prendre (to take)
pris
apprendre (to learn)
appris
Some past participles of irregular verbs end in i. Table 12-4 shows the irregular verbs
that have past participles ending in i.
Table 12-4
Irregular Verbs and Their Past Participles Ending in i
Infinitive
Past Participle
partir (to leave)
parti
rire (to laugh)
ri
sortir (to go out)
sorti
sourire (to smile)
souri
suivre (to follow, to take a course)
suivi
In addition to avoir (which you can see more on earlier in this section), three other
irregular verbs have the following forms in the past participle. Table 12-5 lists these
four irregular verbs and their past participles.
Table 12-5
Irregular Verbs and Their Past Participles
Infinitive
Past Participle
avoir (to have)
eu
être (to be)
été
mourir (to die)
mort
naître (to be born)
né
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Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tense
Try putting the following verbs in the passé composé. If you don’t remember how to
spell their past participles, refer to the tables in this chapter. Check out the sample
problem.
Q. Elle _________________ (offrir) des bonbons aux enfants.
A. Elle a offert des bonbons aux enfants. (She offered candy to the children.)
11. Nous _________________ (conduire).
12. Ils _________________ (courir).
13. Je _________________ (lire).
14. Vous _________________ (souffrir).
15. Tu _________________ (sourire).
16. Elle _________________ (apercevoir) le chien.
17. Nous _________________ (voir) le Président.
18. Elles _________________ (apprendre) le français.
19. Vous _________________ (suivre) les cours.
20. Tu _________________ (vivre) en France.
Making sure the past participle agrees
with the preceding direct object
Throughout this section, I show you the way to form the past participles, but you
need to know another important fact before you can spell them correctly. You need to
make sure the past participles are in agreement with the preceding direct object if
there is one. Depending on the direct object, you need to make the following changes
to the past participle:
If the preceding direct object is masculine singular, then leave the past participle
alone.
If the preceding direct object is feminine singular, add an e.
If the preceding direct object is masculine plural, add an s.
If the preceding direct object is feminine plural, add an es.
Check out the following examples to see how the past participle can change.
J’ai mis les fleurs dans le vase. (I put the flowers in the vase.)
Je les ai mises dans le vase. (I put them in the vase.)
To replace the direct object les fleurs, which is feminine plural, with the direct object
pronoun les, which means them, place the direct object pronoun before the verb, and
then the past participle mis agrees with les and therefore it is spelled mises. I provide
one more example.
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Chapter 12: Comprehending the Passé Composé and the Pluperfect Tenses
Il a vu Nicole. (He saw Nicole.)
Il l’a vue. (He saw her.)
Table 12-6 is a list of the direct object pronouns.
Table 12-6
Direct Object Pronouns
French Pronoun
English Equivalent
me
me
te
you
se
himself/herself/oneself/themselves (for pronominal verbs only)
le
him/it
la
her/it
nous
us
vous
you
les
them
Note: The pronominal pronouns me, te, se, nous, and vous can also be direct object pronouns. Check out
Chapter 5 for more on pronominal verbs.
Drop the vowel of me, te, se, le, and la and add an apostrophe when the verb begins
with a vowel or a mute h. In the passé composé when the auxiliary is avoir, this is
always the case.
Ils m’ont prévenu(e). (They warned me.)
Je t’ai cherché(e). (I looked for you.)
Nous l’avons fini(e). (We finished it.)
Replace the direct object, which is underlined in each question, with a direct object
pronoun. Make sure the past participle agrees with the preceding direct object pronoun; if it doesn’t, make the appropriate changes, like in the following example.
Q. Elle a aperçu la foule. (She noticed the crowd.)
A. Elle l’a aperçue. (She noticed it.)
21. Elle a appris la leçon.
__________________________________________________________________________________
22. Nous avons pris le train.
__________________________________________________________________________________
23. Ils ont fait les devoirs. (masculine, plural)
__________________________________________________________________________________
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24. J’ai vu Hélène.
__________________________________________________________________________________
25. Vous avez récité le poème.
__________________________________________________________________________________
26. Nous avons appelé les enfants. (masculine, plural)
__________________________________________________________________________________
27. Il a reçu les cartes. (feminine, plural)
__________________________________________________________________________________
28. Tu as écrit la dissertation.
__________________________________________________________________________________
29. Ils ont compris le journaliste.
__________________________________________________________________________________
30. Elle a rencontré ses amis. (masculine, plural)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Creating the Passé Composé with Être
Some specific verbs, such as verbs of motion and verbs that aren’t followed by a direct
object, are intransitive and take the auxiliary être. (An intransitive verb is one that isn’t
followed by a direct object. Check out Chapter 1 for more info.) You conjugate the verb
être in the present tense and add the past participle of the verb you want.
être (to be)
je suis
nous sommes
tu es
vous êtes
il/elle/on est
ils/elles sont
Vous êtes optimiste. (You are optimistic.)
To remember which verbs take être (to be), picture the house of être (see Figure 12-1).
Picture a huge door, an elegant staircase, a bed, and a chair. Are you wondering how
this visual aid can help you? Many of the verbs that take être are what I call “door”
verbs. You can go, come, return, enter, arrive, and pass through the door in the house
of être. What about the staircase? You can go up, go down, and if you aren’t careful,
you can fall. Now picture the bed. Way before hospitals, people were born in the house
and died in the house. So these verbs take être. The last types of verbs belonging to
this category are all pronominal verbs, which take être as their auxiliary. You form the
passé composé of être verbs the same way as avoir verbs. You conjugate the verb être
in the present tense followed by the past participle of the verbs.
Il est arrivé à 9 heures. (He arrived at 9 o’clock.)
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Chapter 12: Comprehending the Passé Composé and the Pluperfect Tenses
The House of Être
Figure 12-1:
The House
of Être:
Remember
that these
verbs use
être in the
passé
composé.
M
ON
TE
R
RESTER
ENTRER
ARRIVER
RENTRER
VENIR
R
BE RE
M ND
O
E
T C
S
DE
SORTIR
PARTIR
ALLER
RETOURNER
REVENIR
DEVENIR
PASSER
NAITRE = MOURIR
Table 12-7 shows the verbs that use être when forming the passé composé, along with
their past participles.
Table 12-7
The House of Être: Forming the Passé Composé
Infinitive
Past Participle
aller (to go)
allé
arriver (to arrive)
arrivé
descendre* (to go downstairs, to descend)
descendu
devenir (to become)
devenu
entrer (to enter)
entré
monter* (to go up stairs, to climb)
monté
mourir (to die)
mort
naître (to be born)
né
partir (to leave)
parti
passer* (to pass, to spend)
passé
rentrer* (to come back home)
rentré
rester (to stay)
resté
retourner* (to return)
retourné
revenir (to come back)
revenu
sortir* (to go out)
sorti
tomber (to fall)
tombé
venir (to come)
venu
* These verbs can take either auxiliary, avoir or être. They take the auxiliary avoir when they’re followed by a
direct object. However, they take être when they aren’t followed by a direct object.
141
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Making sure the subject and participle agree
Just like avoir verbs have rules of agreement where the past participle agrees in gender
and number with the preceding direct object, être verbs have rules for agreement as
well. The past participle of être verbs agrees with the subject. Thus,
If the subject is masculine singular, leave the past participle alone.
If the subject is feminine singular, add an e to the past participle.
If the subject is masculine plural, add an s.
If the subject is feminine plural, add an es.
Look at the following example conjugated in the passé composé.
partir (to leave)
je suis parti(e)
nous sommes partis(es)
tu es parti(e)
vous êtes parti(e)(s)(es)
il/elle/on est parti(e)
ils/elles sont partis(es)
Nous sommes partis à midi. (We left at noon.)
Put these verbs in the passé composé. Don’t forget to conjugate the auxiliary être in
the present and then add the past participle. Remember to make sure the past participle agrees with the subject.
Q. Elle _________________ (monter) dans un taxi.
A. Elle est montée dans un taxi. (She got in a taxi.)
31. Nous _________________ (aller) au cinéma.
32. Ils _________________ (naître) en Europe.
33. Je _________________ (tomber).
34. Vous _________________ (descendre) du train.
35. Tu _________________ (arriver) en retard.
36. Elle _________________ (devenir) célèbre.
37. Il _________________ (mourir) en 1969.
38. Nous _________________ (rentrer) tôt.
39. Je _________________ (rester) à la maison.
40. Ils _________________ (venir) ensemble.
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Forming the passé composé with
pronominal verbs
All pronominal verbs take être as their auxiliary. However, they don’t have the same
rule of agreement as the nonpronominal être verbs. The past participle of pronominal
verbs follows that same rule of agreement as the verbs taking avoir as their auxiliary.
That is, the past participle agrees with the preceding direct object if the sentence has
one. (Check out “Making sure the participle and direct object agree” earlier in this
chapter for more info.)
In most sentences with pronominal verbs, the pronominal pronoun (which corresponds to the subject) is the preceding direct object. If this is the case, then you have
agreement, which shows in the past participle, and you should follow these rules:
If the pronominal pronoun is masculine singular, leave the past participle alone.
If the pronominal pronoun is feminine singular, add an e.
If the pronominal pronoun is masculine plural, add an s.
If the pronominal pronoun is feminine plural, add an es.
The following example conjugates se coucher (to go to bed) in the passé composé.
se coucher (to go to bed)
je me suis couché(e)
nous nous sommes couchés(es)
tu t’es couché(e)
vous vous êtes couché(e)(s)(es)
il/elle/on s’est couché(e)
ils/elles se sont couchés(es)
Nous nous sommes couchés à 10 heures. (We went to bed at 10 o’clock.)
If the sentence has a direct object other than the pronominal pronoun, then the
pronominal pronoun is indirect and you don’t have agreement. Take the verb se laver
(to wash oneself). When the verb isn’t followed by a direct object, you have agreement
with the pronominal pronoun. However, when the same verb is followed by a direct
object, the pronominal pronoun is the indirect object and you don’t have agreement.
Check out Table 12-8 as an example.
Table 12-8
Se Laver (to wash oneself ) with and
without a Direct Object
Se Laver without a Direct Object
Se Laver with a Direct Object
Je me suis lavé(e). (I washed myself.)
Je me suis lavé les cheveux. (I washed
my hair.)
Tu t’es lavé(e). (You washed yourself.)
Tu t’es lavé les cheveux. (You washed
your hair.)
Il s’est lavé. (He washed himself.)
Il s’est lavé les cheveux. (He washed his
hair.)
(continued)
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Table 12-8 (continued)
Se Laver without a Direct Object
Se Laver with a Direct Object
Elle s’est lavée. (She washed herself.)
Elle s’est lavé les cheveux. (She washed
her hair.)
Nous nous sommes lavés(es). (We
washed ourselves.)
Nous nous sommes lavé les cheveux.
(We washed our hair.)
Vous vous êtes lavé(e)(s)(es). (You
washed yourself [ves.])
Vous vous êtes lavé les cheveux. (You
washed your hair.)
Ils se sont lavés. (They washed themselves.)
Ils se sont lavé les cheveux. (They
washed their hair.)
Elles se sont lavées. (They washed themselves.)
Elles se sont lavé les cheveux. (They
washed their hair.)
Some pronominal verbs have pronominal pronouns that are always indirect object
pronouns. In this case, the past participle doesn’t agree with the pronominal pronouns. Table 12-9 shows these verbs.
Table 12-9
Pronominal Verbs with Indirect Object Pronouns
Verb
Translation
s’acheter
to buy for oneself or for each other
s’écrire
to write to each other
se demander
to wonder
se dire
to say to oneself or to each other
se donner
to give to oneself or to each other
se parler
to speak to each other
se promettre
to promise oneself or each other
se rendre compte de
to realize
se rendre visite
to visit each other
se ressembler
to look alike, to resemble each other
se sourire
to smile at each other
se téléphoner
to call each other
Remember that the past participle and the indirect object pronouns have no agreement between them. This rule applies to verbs taking the auxiliary avoir as well as to
pronominal verbs. Table 12-10 shows the indirect objects.
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Table 12-10
Indirect Object Pronouns
French Pronoun
English Equivalent
me
to me
te
to you
se
to himself/to herself/to themselves (for pronominal verbs
only)
lui
to him/to her
nous
to us
vous
to you
leur
to them
Note: The pronominal pronouns me, te, se, nous, and vous can also be indirect object pronouns. Check out
Chapter 5 for more on pronominal verbs.
Je leur ai téléphoné. (I called them.)
Nous lui avons promis. (We promised him/her.)
Vous vous êtes dit au revoir. (You said goodbye to each other.)
Put the following pronominal verbs in the passé composé. Don’t forget to make sure
the past participle agrees with the pronominal pronoun when it’s the direct object.
Q. Nous _____________________________________________ (se rencontrer).
A. Nous nous sommes rencontrés. (We met each other.)
41. Ils _____________________________________________ (se téléphoner).
42. Je _____________________________________________ (s’habiller).
43. Elles _____________________________________________ (se brosser) les dents.
44. Tu _____________________________________________ (s’amuser).
45. Nous _____________________________________________ (s’écrire).
46. Il _____________________________________________ (se lever) tard.
47. Vous _____________________________________________ (se parler).
48. Elle _____________________________________________ (se maquiller).
49. Nous _____________________________________________ (se dépêcher).
50. Ils _____________________________________________ (se donner) des cadeaux.
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Flexible Verbs: Using Either Avoir or Être
Certain verbs can take either auxiliary, avoir or être, in the passé composé. The way
you can tell which one they take is in the way they’re used. If they’re followed by a
direct object, then they take avoir as their auxiliary. If they aren’t followed by a direct
object, then they take être as their auxiliary.
Note that verbs such as descendre, monter, passer, rentrer, retourner, and sortir
can take either auxiliary — avoir or être (see Table 12-7 earlier in this chapter).
These verbs take avoir when they’re followed by a direct object. In this case, they’re
transitive. They take être when they aren’t followed by a direct object and they’re
intransitive. See the examples in Table 12-11.
Table 12-11
Verbs That Take Either Auxiliary (Avoir or Être)
Transitive (avoir)
Intransitive (être)
Elle a passé un examen. (She took an exam.)
Elle est passée par la bibliothèque. (She
passed by the library).
Elle a monté la valise. (She brought the
suitcase up.)
Elle est montée dans un taxi. (She got in
a taxi.)
Elle a descendu les livres. (She brought
the books down.)
Elle est descendue au sous-sol. (She
went down to the basement.)
Elle a sorti le chien. (She took out the dog.)
Elle est sortie avec ses amis. (She went
out with her friends.)
Elle a rentré la voiture. (She put the car in.)
Elle est rentrée à minuit. (She came
home at midnight.)
Elle a retourné les crêpes. (She turned over
the crepes.)
Elle est retournée à son livre. (She
returned to her book/reading.)
Can you tell the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb? Choose
between avoir and être and put the following verbs in the passé composé.
Q. Je _____________________________________________ (sortir) avec mes amis.
A. Je suis sorti avec mes amis. (I went out with my friends.)
51. Nous _____________________________________________ (passer) une semaine à la
Martinique.
52. Il _____________________________________________ (monter) dans sa chambre.
53. Tu _____________________________________________ (sortir) ton livre.
54. Vous _____________________________________________ (descendre) le linge.
55. Je _____________________________________________ (rentrer) à l’heure.
56. Ils _____________________________________________ (retourner) les cassettes vidéo.
57. Nous _____________________________________________ (sortir) avec des amis.
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58. Tu _____________________________________________ (passer) par Paris.
59. Elle _____________________________________________ (monter) le bébé dans sa chambre.
60. Vous _____________________________________________ (rentrer) le chien.
Making the Passé Composé Negative
If you want to say that you didn’t do something or you didn’t go anywhere, you make
the passé composé negative. Just place ne before the auxiliary, which is the conjugated
verb, and pas after the auxiliary.
Je n’ai pas voyagé. (I didn’t travel.)
Nous n’avons pas lu le journal. (We didn’t read the newspaper.)
For pronominal verbs, the ne precedes not only the auxiliary but also the pronominal
pronoun and the pas follows that auxiliary.
Tu ne t’es pas couché(e). (You didn’t go to bed.)
Nous ne nous sommes pas amusés. (We didn’t have fun.)
Now you try. Make the following sentences negative and then translate them.
Q. Ils sont sortis.
A. Ils ne sont pas sortis. They did not go out.
61. Ils se sont ennuyés.
__________________________________________________________________________________
62. Tu t’es habillé(e).
__________________________________________________________________________________
63. Nous avons appris la leçon.
__________________________________________________________________________________
64. Elle est partie.
__________________________________________________________________________________
65. Ils se sont souri.
__________________________________________________________________________________
66. Vous avez vu le film.
__________________________________________________________________________________
67. Je me suis brossé les cheveux.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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68. Nous sommes nés en Californie.
__________________________________________________________________________________
69. Elles se sont rappelées leur jeunesse.
__________________________________________________________________________________
70. Tu as parlé à tes parents.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Forming the Pluperfect
You use the pluperfect to recount an action that happened even before the passé
composé. It’s not only a completed action in the past, but one that had taken place
even before the passé composé. These two tenses are both past compound tenses.
You form the pluperfect just like the passé composé, except that you conjugate the
auxiliaries avoir and être in the imperfect tense and add the past participle of the
verb. The following shows the imperfect forms of avoir and être, followed by an
example of how to form the pluperfect.
avoir (to have)
j’avais
nous avions
tu avais
vous aviez
il/elle/on avait
ils/elles avaient
Nous avions déjà mangé quand tu es arrivé. (We had already eaten when you arrived.)
être (to be)
j’étais
nous étions
tu étais
vous étiez
il/elle/on était
ils/elles étaient
Ils étaient partis quand nous avons téléphoné. (They had left when we called.)
Je suis allé au théâtre hier, mais j’avais acheté mon billet le mois dernier.
(I went to the theater yesterday, but I had bought my ticket last month.)
You also use the pluperfect to express regret with the condition si (if only). You use
the pluperfect after a si clause in a hypothetical sentence with the past conditional
tense in the result clause (see Chapter 18).
Si j’étais arrivé plutôt. (If only I had arrived earlier.)
Si nous avions su. (If only we had known.)
S’il avait réussi, à ses examens, il serait allé en Europe. (If he had passed his
exams, he would have gone to Europe.)
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Put the following verbs in the pluperfect. Check out the example if you need assistance.
Q. Le professeur _____________________________________________ (rendre) les examens.
A. Le professeur avait rendu les examens. (The professor had given back the exams.)
71. Papa _____________________________________________ (rentrer) tard.
72. Les enfants _____________________________________________ (finir) leurs devoirs.
73. Je _____________________________________________ (suivre) tous mes cours.
74. Nous _____________________________________________ (recevoir) notre diplôme.
75. Elle _____________________________________________ (voyager).
76. Vous _____________________________________________ (travailler) toute votre vie.
77. Il _____________________________________________(écrire) sa thèse.
78. Tu _____________________________________________ (aller) en Afrique.
79. Nous _____________________________________________ (se réveiller) de bonne heure.
80. Mes parents _____________________________________________ (éléver) quatre enfants.
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Answer Key
This section contains the answers to the practice problems in this chapter. Compare
your answers to the correct ones. Are you a passé composé wiz? Remember that the
passé composé has three meanings in English. For example, J’ai choisi le vin rouge
means I chose, I have chosen, and I did choose the red wine. In this Answer Key, however, I provide only the most common translation.
a
Tu as rendu les livres. (You gave back the books.)
b
Elle a voyagé. (She travelled.)
c
Nous avons choisi. (We chose.)
d
Ils ont dîné. (They dined.)
e
J’ai étudié. (I studied.)
f
Vous avez réussi. (You have succeeded.)
g
Ils ont vendu leur voiture. (They sold their car.)
h
Tu as perdu tes clés. (You lost your keys.)
i
Nous avons travaillé. (We worked.)
j
Elle a réfléchi. (She reflected.)
k
Nous avons conduit. (We drove.)
l
Ils ont couru. (They ran.)
m
J’ai lu. (I read.)
n
Vous avez souffert. (You [have] suffered.)
o
Tu as souri. (You smiled.)
p
Elle a aperçu le chien. (She noticed the dog.)
q
Nous avons vu le Président. (We saw the President.)
r
Elles ont appris le français. (They learned French.)
s
Vous avez suivi les cours. (You took courses.)
t
Tu as vécu en France. (You lived in France.)
u
Elle l’a apprise. (She learned it.)
v
Nous l’avons pris. (We took it.)
w
Ils les ont faits. (They did it.)
x
Je l’ai vue. (I saw her.)
y
Vous l’avez récité. (You recited it.)
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A
Nous les avons appelés. (We called them.)
B
Il les a reçues. (He received them.)
C
Tu l’as écrite. (You wrote it.)
D
Ils l’ont compris. (They understood him.)
E
Elle les a rencontrés. (She met them.)
F
Nous sommes allés au cinéma. (We went to the movies.)
G
Ils sont nés en Europe. (They were born in Europe.)
H
Je suis tombée. (I fell.)
I
Vous êtes descendu du train. (You got off the train.)
J
Tu es arrivée en retard. (You arrived late.)
K
Elle est devenue célèbre. (She became famous.)
L
Il est mort en 1969. (He died in 1969.)
M
Nous sommes rentrés tôt. (We came home early.)
N
Je suis restée à la maison. (I stayed in the house.)
O
Ils sont venus ensemble. (They came together.)
P
Ils se sont téléphoné. (They called each other.)
Q
Je me suis habillé(e). (I got dressed.)
R
Elles se sont brossé les dents. (They brushed their teeth.)
S
Tu t’es amusé(e). (You had fun.)
T
Nous nous sommes écrit. (We wrote to each other.)
U
Il s’est levé tard. (He got up late.)
V
Vous vous êtes parlé. (You spoke to each other.)
W
Elle s’est maquillée. (She put on makeup.)
X
Nous nous sommes dépêchés. (We hurried.)
Y
Ils se sont donné des cadeaux. (They gave each other presents.)
z
Nous avons passé une semaine à la Martinique. (We spent a week in Martinique.)
Z
Il est monté dans sa chambre. (He went up to his room.)
1
Tu as sorti ton livre. (You took out your book.)
2
Vous avez descendu le linge. (You brought the laundry down[stairs].)
3
Je suis rentrée toujours à l’heure. (I always came home on time.)
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4
Ils ont retourné les cassettes vidéo. (They returned the videos.)
5
Nous sommes sortis avec des amis. (We went out with friends.)
6
Tu es passée par Paris. (You passed by Paris.)
7
Elle a monté le bébé dans sa chambre. (She brought the baby up to her room.)
8
Vous avez rentré le chien. (You brought the dog in.)
9
Ils ne se sont pas ennuyés. They did not get bored.
0
Tu ne t’es pas habillée. You did not get dressed.
!
Nous n’avons pas appris la leçon. We did not learn the lesson.
@
Elle n’est pas partie. She did not leave.
#
Ils ne se sont pas souri. They did not smile at each other.
$
Vous n’avez pas vu le film. You did not see the film.
%
Je ne me suis pas brossé les cheveux. I did not brush my hair.
^
Nous ne sommes pas nés en Californie. We were not born in California.
&
Elles ne se sont pas rappelées leur jeunesse. They did not remember their youth.
*
Tu n’as pas parlé à tes parents. You did not speak to your parents.
(
Papa était rentré tard. (Dad had come home late.)
)
Les enfants avaient fini leurs devoirs. (The children had finished their homework.)
-
J’avais suivi tous mes cours. (I had taken all my courses.)
_
Nous avions reçu notre diplôme. (We had received our diploma.)
=
Elle avait voyagé. (She had travelled.)
+
Vous aviez travaillé toute votre vie. (You had worked your whole life.)
[
Il avait écrit sa thèse. (He had written his thesis.)
{
Tu étais allé en Afrique. (You had gone to Africa.)
]
Nous nous étions réveillés de bonne heure. (We had woken up early.)
}
Mes parents avaient élévé quatre enfants. (My parents had raised four children.)
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Chapter 13
Contrasting the Imperfect
with the Passé Composé
In This Chapter
Knowing the differences between the imperfect and the passé composé
Choosing when to use each tense
W
hen you recount past events, you often describe the circumstances in which the
events took place as well as tell what happened using specific actions. This chapter
guides you in distinguishing between the two tenses — the imperfect and the passé composé.
(For more on forming the imperfect and the passé composé, see Chapters 11 and 12.)
Identifying the Main Differences
between the Two Tenses
The choice between the passé composé and the imperfect depends on the context of what
you’re saying. At times, the choice between these two tenses is subjective and depends on
the way you view the events. So when do you use the imperfect versus the passé composé?
You use the imperfect to provide background information, such as descriptions of scenery,
weather, physical appearance, and mental state. You also use it to describe events that have
occurred an unspecified number of times as well as ongoing and habitual actions. The translation of the imperfect in English is used to do something, would do something, or was doing
something.
On the other hand, you use the passé composé for completed actions in the past, actions
that occurred at a specific moment in time and a specific number of times, and changes or
interruptions of a state or actions.
Table 13-1 serves as a guide and provides example sentences for each use.
Table 13-1
Differences between the Imperfect and Passé Composé
When to Use
Imperfect
Example
When to Use
Passé Composé
Example
Habitual or
continuous action
Je lisais. (I was
reading.)
Change or interruption
in the action
Je lisais quand tu es entré.
(I was reading when you
entered.)
(continued)
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Table 13-1 (continued)
When to Use
Imperfect
Example
When to Use
Passé Composé
Example
Physical description
and mental state
Elle portait sa
nouvelle robe
et elle se sentait
belle. (She was
wearing her new
dress and was
feeling beautiful.)
Physical description
and mental state are
the result of a specific
action
Parce qu’il pleuvait,
elle a porté son
imperméable.
(Because it was
raining, she wore
her raincoat.)
Description of
weather
Il neigeait et il
faisait très froid.
(It was snowing
and it was very
cold.)
Change in the weather
or the weather at a
specific moment
Il a neigé ce matin.
(It snowed this
morning.)
An event that has
taken place an
unspecified number
of times
Quand j’étais à
Paris, je prenais
le métro. (When
I was in Paris, I
used to/would
take the subway.)
An event that has taken
place a specific number
of times
Quand j’étais à
Paris, j’ai pris le
métro trois fois.
(When I was in
Paris, I took the
subway three
times.)
Ongoing
simultaneous
actions
Maman préparait
le déjeuner et
papa tondait la
pelouse. (Mom
was preparing
lunch and Dad
was mowing
the lawn.)
Actions completed
at a specific time
in the past
A midi, maman a
préparé le déjeuner
et papa a tondu la
pelouse. (At noon,
Mom prepared
lunch and Dad
mowed the lawn.)
Try to distinguish between these two tenses. In the following sentences, put the verb
in parentheses in the imperfect or the passé composé.
Q. En général, ils _________________ (dîner) assez tard.
A. En général, ils dînaient assez tard. (In general, they would eat fairly late.)
1. Je _________________ (se doucher) quand tu me _________________ (appeler).
2. Nous _________________ (aller) au théâtre cinq fois.
3. Benjamin _________________ (jouer) au tennis pendant que Mélanie _________________
(nager).
4. Il _________________ (pleuvoir) mais il _________________ (faire) très doux.
5. Quand il _________________ (être) petit, il _________________ (mettre) toujours ses
chaussures de travers.
6. Dans la forêt, il y _________________ (avoir) un silence profond.
7. Je _________________ (corriger) les examens pendant que tu _________________ (faire)
tes devoirs.
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8. Le professeur _________________ (expliquer) le subjonctif trois fois.
9. Ils _________________ (travailler) quand ils _________________ (entendre) des sirènes.
10. Chaque été, nous _________________ (aller) à la plage.
Selecting the Right Tense: Imperfect or
Passé Composé?
When speaking in the past, you need to know which tense is the correct one to use. Are
you discussing something that happened only one time or are you referring to something that happened habitually? This section can help you make the right choice by
pointing out helpful key words that can point you in the right direction. This section
also looks at certain verbs that are used more in the imperfect as well as pointers about
understanding the context so that you can choose the right tense.
Relying on helpful key words
Although the choice of the imperfect or the passé composé depends on the context of
the narration as well as the perspective of the speaker or author, certain key words
may help you to choose more accurately between these two tenses. This section
looks more closely at those key words.
Because the imperfect tense is one of description, habitual action, and nonspecific
time, certain key words express general or continuous time with which you use the
imperfect. On the other hand, expressions that express precise and specific time or
specific number of times indicate a completed action, which is expressed by the
passé composé.
J’allais à l’école tous les jours. (I would go to school every day.)
Hier, je suis allé à l’école. (Yesterday, I went to school.)
In the first sentence, tous les jours (every day) indicates a general time; therefore, the
verb is in the imperfect tense. In the second sentence, hier (yesterday) indicates a
specific time; therefore the verb is in the passé composé.
Table 13-2 shows some key words that can help you determine whether you need to
use the imperfect or the passé composé.
Table 13-2
Choosing between the Imperfect and Passé Composé
Key Words That Indicate Imperfect Tense
Key Words That Indicate Passé Composé
autrefois (in the past )
ce matin (this morning)
chaque année (each year)
chaque fois (each time)
chaque jour (each day)
chaque mois (each month)
chaque semaine (each week)
hier (yesterday)
d’habitude/habituellement (usually)
l’année dernière (last year)
(continued)
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Table 13-2 (continued)
Key Words That Indicate Imperfect Tense
Key Words That Indicate Passé Composé
généralement/en général (generally)
la semaine dernière (last week)
souvent (often)
quand (when) — this verb indicates the
passé composé only when the ongoing
action is interrupted
toujours (always)
soudain/soudainement (suddenly)
tous les jours (every day)
tout d’un coup (all of a sudden)
With these practice exercises, look at the verb in parentheses. Determine whether
you need to conjugate it in the imperfect or passé composé. Use the key words as
your guide.
Q. L’année dernière, ma soeur _________________ (obtenir) son diplôme.
A. L’année dernière, ma soeur a obtenu son diplôme. (Last year, my sister got her diploma.)
11. Je le _________________ (voir) chaque fois que je _________________ (aller) au cours.
12. En général, nous _________________ (partir) en vacances en juin.
13. Hier, ils _________________ (faire) les courses.
14. Les enfants _________________ (jouer) dans le parc quand tout d’un coup il
_________________ (commencer) à pleuvoir.
15. Autrefois mes grands-parents _________________ (habiter) en Champagne.
16. Papa _________________ (travailler) souvent le samedi.
17. Tu _________________ (dormir) quand je _________________ (rentrer).
18. Je _________________ (se promener) d’habitude au jardin de Luxemburg.
19. La semaine dernière nous _________________ (recevoir) une contravention.
20. Ils _________________ (boire) toujours du vin au dîner.
Eyeing verbs usually used with the imperfect
In Chapter 11, you discover that the imperfect describes physical and mental states.
You can use some verbs for this type of description, so they’re usually in the imperfect tense. Check out the following examples in Table 13-3.
Table 13-3
Descriptive Verbs in the Imperfect
Infinitive
Example in the Imperfect
adorer (to adore)
Elle adorait les pêches. (She adored peaches.)
aimer (to like, to love)
J’aimais les promenades. (I loved the walks.)
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Infinitive
Example in the Imperfect
avoir (to have)
Il y avait des nuages. (There were clouds.)
croire (to believe)
Vous croyiez que nous étions déçus. (You believed that we were
disappointed.)
détester (to hate)
Ils détestaient partir. (They hated to leave.)
espérer (to hope)
Tu espérais réussir. (You hoped to succeed.)
être (to be)
Il était en retard. (He was late.)
penser (to think)
Nous pensions que tu ne venais pas. (We thought that you were
not coming.)
préférer (to prefer)
Je préférais le jazz. (I preferred/used to prefer jazz.)
Looking at verbs that have different meanings
in imperfect and passé composé
Certain verbs have different connotations depending on whether they’re in the imperfect or the passé composé. In the passé composé, these verbs have more of an emphasis on something that you’ve accomplished, whereas in the imperfect, they emphasize
more of a generality or an attempt to do something that probably didn’t materialize or
happen. Table 13-4 shows you some examples of these types of verbs.
Table 13-4
Different Meanings: Imperfect versus Passé Composé
Infinitive
Imperfect
Passé Composé
croire (to believe)
Tu croyais que je partirais.
(You thought that I would
leave.)
Tu as cru que je partirais.
(You concluded that
I would leave.)
devoir (to have to)
Il devait travailler.
(He was supposed
to work.)
Il a dû travailler.
(He had to work.)
falloir (to have to) This
verb is used only in the
third person singular il,
but it can have multiple
meanings in English.
Il fallait partir.
(I/We/They should
have left).
Il a fallu partir.
(I/We/They had to leave.)
pouvoir (to be able to)
Je pouvais faire mes
devoirs.
(I could/was capable
of doing my homework.)
J’ai pu faire mes devoirs.
(I succeeded in doing my
homework.)
savoir (to know)
Elle savait que j’étais
du retour.
(She knew that I was
back.)
Elle a su que j’étais du
retour.
(She discovered/found
out that I was back.)
vouloir (to want)
Nous voulions voyager.
(We wanted to travel.)
Nous avons voulu
voyager.
(We decided to travel.)
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Part III: Taking a Look Back: The Past Tense
You also use the imperfect tense with the following constructions in order to express
ongoing actions in the past: être en train de (to be in the middle of something) and
venir de + infinitive (had just done something).
Il était en train de conduire quand il a vu l’accident. (He was [in the middle of]
driving when he saw the accident).
Je venais de jouer au tennis alors j’avais mal au bras. (I had just played tennis so
my arm was sore/hurting.)
Translate the following sentences and put the verbs in the imperfect or the passé
composé. For some sentences, more than one verb can be used. Refer to Table 13-4.
Q. I thought that you were married.
A. Je croyais que tu étais marié.
21. They had to pay a fine (une amende).
__________________________________________________________________________________
22. Sarah was supposed to write a composition.
__________________________________________________________________________________
23. We had to sell the house.
__________________________________________________________________________________
24. You decided to register for classes.
__________________________________________________________________________________
25. I knew that he was ill.
__________________________________________________________________________________
26. Mathieu succeeded in winning the medal.
__________________________________________________________________________________
27. We thought you were leaving.
__________________________________________________________________________________
28. They found out the truth.
__________________________________________________________________________________
29. My parents wanted to go to Paris.
__________________________________________________________________________________
30. I had to stay with the kids.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 13: Contrasting the Imperfect with the Passé Composé
Understanding the context
Although certain rules guide you in choosing between the imperfect and the passé
composé, sometimes the choice also depends on the context of the narration as well as
on the speaker’s or author’s point of view. Along with these two tenses, you can also
add the pluperfect (see Chapter 12 on how to form the pluperfect), which expresses
a completed action in the past that had happened even before the passé composé.
Remember that the meaning of the pluperfect in English is had.
J’ai trouvé le livre que j’avais perdu. (I found the book that I had lost.)
In the following paragraph, decide which past tenses are more accurate for each
blank. Choose from the pluperfect, the imperfect, and the passé composé.
Q. Il _________________ (faire) beau et je _________________ (décider) de me promener dans le
parc. Pendant que je _________________ (se promener), il _________________ (commencer)
à pleuvoir.
A. Il faisait beau et j’ai décidé de me promener dans le parc. Pendant que je me promenais,
il a commencé à pleuvoir. (It was nice out and I decided to take a walk in the park. While I
was walking, it began to rain.)
Hélene 31_______________(naître) dans une petite ville au nord de
France. Sa famille et elle 32_______________ (habiter) une maison à
trois chambres que son grand-perè 33_______________ (construire)
vingt ans avant. Son père 34_______________ (travailler) au
centre-ville et sa mère 35_______________ (s’occuper) de son frère et
d’elle aussi bien que de ses grands-parents. Elle 36_______________
(aller) à l’école à pied avec tous les enfants du quartier. Ils
37
_______________ (porter) des uniformes bleus avec des cols de
dentelles blanches. Un jour, quand elle 38_______________ (rentrer)
à la maison, son père 39_______________ (annoncer) qu’ils
partiraient pour les États-Unis. En deux mois, tout
40
_______________ (être) prêt pour le grand déménagement. Le jour
de leur départ, tous ses amis 41_______________ (venir) lui rendre
visite pour lui dire au revoir. Hélene 42_______________ (se sentir)
triste de quitter sa patrie, mais elle 43_______________ (être)
impatiente de voir son nouveau pays.
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Answer Key
This section contains the answers to all the practice exercises in this chapter. Review
your answers to see how you did.
a
Je me douchais quand tu m’as appelé. (I was taking a shower when you called me.)
b
Nous sommes allés au théâtre cinq fois. (We went to the theater five times.)
c
Benjamin jouait au tennis pendant que Mélanie nageait. (Benjamin was playing tennis while
Mélanie was swimming.)
d
Il pleuvait mais il faisait très doux. (It was raining but it was very mild.)
e
Quand il était petit, il mettait toujours ses chaussures de travers. (When he was young, he
would always put on his shoes the wrong way.)
f
Dans la forêt, il y avait un silence profond. (In the forest, there was a profound silence.)
g
Je corrigeais les examens pendant que tu faisais tes devoirs. (I was correcting the exams while
you were doing your homework.)
h
Le professeur a expliqué le subjonctif trois fois. (The professor explained the subjunctive three
times.)
i
Ils travaillaient quand ils ont entendu des sirènes. (They were working when they heard sirens.)
j
Chaque été, nous allions à la plage. (Every summer, we would go to the beach.)
k
Je le voyais chaque fois que j’allais au cours. (I would see him every time I would go to class.)
l
En général, nous partions en vacances en juin. (In general, we would leave for vacation in June.)
m
Hier, ils ont fait les courses. (Yesterday, they ran errands.)
n
Les enfants jouaient dans le parc quand tout d’un coup il a commencé à pleuvoir. (The children
were playing in the park when all of a sudden it began to rain.)
o
Autrefois mes grands-parents habitaient en Champagne. (In the past my grandparents used to
live in Champagne.)
p
Papa travaillait souvent le samedi. (Dad would often work on Saturdays.)
q
Tu dormais quand je suis rentré. (You were sleeping when I came home.)
r
Je me promenais d’habitude au jardin de Luxemburg. (I would usually go for a walk/stroll in
the Luxemburg Garden.)
s
La semaine dernière nous avons reçu une contravention. (Last week we received a ticket.)
t
Ils buvaient toujours du vin au dîner. (They would always drink some wine at dinner.)
u
Ils ont dû payer une amende.
v
Sarah devait écrire une composition.
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w
Il a fallu vendre la maison. Or, Nous avons dû vendre la maison.
x
Tu as voulu t’inscrire aux cours.
y
Je savais qu’il était malade.
A
Mathieu a pu gagner la médaille.
B
Nous croyions que tu partais.
C
Ils ont su la vérité.
D
Mes parents voulaient aller à Paris.
E
J’ai dû rester avec les enfants.
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
Hèlene est née dans une petite ville au nord de France. Sa famille et elle
habitaient une maison à trois chambres que son grand-père
avait construite vingt ans avant. Son père travaillait au centre-ville et sa
mère s’occupait de son frère et d’elle aussi bien que de ses
grands-parents. Elle allait à l’école a pied avec tous les enfants du quartier.
Ils portaient des uniformes bleus avec des cols de dentelles blanches. Un
jour, quand elle est rentrée à la maison, son père a annoncé qu’ils
partiraient pour les États-Unis. En deux mois, tout était prêt pour le grand
déménagement. Le jour de leur départ, tous ses amis sont venus lui
rendre visite pour lui dire au revoir. Hèlene se sentait triste de quitter sa
R
I
patrie, mais elle était impatiente de voir son nouveau pays.
(Helen was born in a small town in the north of France. Her family and she lived in a three
bedroom house that her grandfather had built twenty years before. Her father was working in
the center of town and her mother was taking care of her brother and her as well as of her
grandparents. She would go to school on foot with all the children of the neighborhood. They
would wear blue uniforms with white lace collars. One day, when she came home, her father
announced that they would leave for the United States. In two months, everything was ready
for the big move. The day of their departure, all her friends came to visit her to say good bye.
Helen felt sad leaving her homeland, but she waited with impatience to see her new country.)
N
O
P
Q
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Chapter 14
Deciphering the Literary Tenses:
The Passé Simple and
Passé Antérieur
In This Chapter
Conjugating the passé simple
Forming the passé antérieur
F
rench has some tenses that are reserved for writing only. The passé simple and the
passé antérieur, or past anterior, are two such tenses. You only need to recognize them
in case you ever curl up with your favorite French novel or short story.
The passé simple is a literary tense that expresses a completed action in the past. In fact, it
has the same meaning as the passé composé, which is a compound tense. Meanwhile, the
passé antérieur is the past of the passé simple. You use it when one action in the past has to
happen before another action takes place in the past. This chapter does have a short section on it just so that you can identify it when you see it.
Because they’re both literary tenses, you don’t use them in everyday conversation. This
chapter briefly looks at the passé simple and passé antérieur and helps you identify and
conjugate them in case you do encounter them.
Creating the Passé Simple
As the name indicates, the passé simple is a simple verb, which means that the verb is
conjugated by itself without an auxiliary. If you have never seen the passé simple before, it
can seem very odd (especially the plural endings). This section helps you recognize it. And
don’t worry about using it too much in your own writing. You can use the passé composé
instead to express a completed action in the past. Check out Chapter 13 for more on the
passé composé. This section shows you how to conjugate the passé simple for regular and
irregular verbs.
Regular verbs
The passé simple of regular verbs is fairly easy to form. Just drop the -er, -ir, and -re of the
infinitives and add the endings. However, -er verbs have different endings than -ir and -re
verbs. The following charts show you the different endings.
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Regular -er Verb Endings for the Passé Simple
je -ai
nous -âmes
tu -as
vous -âtes
il/elle/on -a
ils/elles -èrent
parler (to speak)
je parlai
nous parlâmes
tu parlas
vous parlâtes
il/elle/on parla
ils/elles parlèrent
Il parla de la politique française. (He spoke about French politics.)
Regular -ir and -re Verb Endings for the Passé Simple
je -is
nous -îmes
tu -is
vous -îtes
il/elle/on -it
ils/elles -irent
finir (to finish)
je finis
nous finîmes
tu finis
vous finîtes
il/elle finit
ils/elles finirent
Mes grands-parents finirent la construction de leur maison avant la guerre.
(My grandparents finished building their house before the war.)
vendre (to sell)
je vendis
nous vendîmes
tu vendis
vous vendîtes
il/elle/on vendit
ils/elles vendirent
La France vendit la Louisiane aux États-Unis en 1803.
(France sold Louisiana to the United States in 1803.)
Most irregular verbs
You form the passé simple of most irregular verbs by taking their past participles and
adding endings. If the past participle of a verb ends in u, add the following endings:
-s, -s, -t, -ûmes, -ûtes, -rent.
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Chapter 14: Deciphering the Literary Tenses: The Passé Simple and Passé Antérieur
boire (to drink)
je bus
nous bûmes
tu bus
vous bûtes
il/elle/on but
ils/elles burent
Nous bûmes un Dom Perignon pour nos cinquante ans de mariage.
(We drank Dom Perignon champagne for our 50th wedding anniversary.)
You also use these same endings for avoir, whose past participle ends in u.
avoir (to have)
j’eus
nous eûmes
tu eus
vous eûtes
il/elle/on eut
ils/elles eurent
Vous eûtes votre diplôme avant la manifestation des étudiants.
(You got your degree before the students’ protest.)
The passé simple of être is irregular, although the endings are the same as avoir.
être (to be)
je fus
nous fûmes
tu fus
vous fûtes
il/elle/on fut
ils/elles furent
Il fut Président de la République Française en 1945.
(He was President of the French Republic in 1945.)
Table 14-1 lists some verbs whose past participles end in u and thus follow the same
pattern as boire (to drink).
Table 14-1
Verbs with Past Participles That End in u
Infinitive
Past Participle Stem
boire (to drink)
bu-
connaître (to know)
connu-
courir (to run)
couru-
croire (to believe)
cru-
devoir (to owe, to have to)
dû-
falloir (to have to, to must)*
fallu-
lire (to read)
lu-
paraître (to appear, to seem)
paru(continued)
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Table 14-1 (continued)
Infinitive
Past Participle Stem
plaire (to please)
plu-
pleuvoir (to rain)*
plu-
pouvoir (to be able to)
pu-
recevoir (to receive)
reçu-
savoir (to know)
su-
vivre (to live)
vécu-
vouloir (to want to)
voulu-
* These verbs are used in the third person singular (il) only.
Irregular stem verbs with regular endings
Some verbs have an irregular stem but regular endings: -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, and
-irent. Dire (to say) is a good example.
dire (to say)
je dis
nous dîmes
tu dis
vous dîtes
il/elle/on dit
ils/elles dirent
Elle dit au revoir à ses amis avant de partir.
(She told her friends goodbye before leaving.)
Table 14-2 lists some verbs similar to dire.
Table 14-2
Verbs with Irregular Stems and Regular Endings
Infinitive
Stem
craindre (to fear)
craign-
dire (to say)
d-
écrire (to write)
écriv-
faire (to do, to make)
f-
mettre (to put, to place)
m-
naître (to be born)
naqu-
prendre (to take)
pr-
rire (to laugh)
r-
voir (to see)
v-
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Completely irregular
The passé simple of the verbs venir (to come) and tenir (to hold) and all their compounds are irregular and have different endings. The endings are as follows: -ins, -ins,
-int, -înmes, -întes, and -inrent.
venir (to come)
je vins
nous vînmes
tu vins
vous vîntes
il/elle/on vint
ils/elles vinrent
Ils vinrent avant le coucher du soleil. (They came before sunset.)
Put the following verbs in the passé simple.
Q. Nous _________________ (avoir) de la chance.
A. Nous eûmes de la chance. (We were lucky.)
1. Il _________________ (naître) le 3 décembre, 1816.
2. Les enfants _________________ (craindre) les histoires d’épouvante.
3. Vous _________________ (voir) des tableaux au musée.
4. Vincent Van Gogh _________________ (envoyer) beaucoup de lettres à son frère Théo.
5. Gaugin _________________ (passer) beaucoup de temps à Tahiti.
6. Nous _________________ (faire) des costumes pour Mardi Gras.
7. Je _________________ (recevoir) des cadeaux pour mon anniversaire.
8. Mon grand-père _________________ (finir) ses études en 1923.
9. Il _________________ (être) stupéfait.
10. Elle _________________ (vivre) quarante ans en France.
Creating the Passé Antérieur
The passé antérieur is a compound tense, and it expresses an action that has taken
place even before the passé simple. The passé antérieur is also a literary tense, and
you don’t use it in conversational French. You need only to recognize it when you
come across it while reading your favorite French author(s). Like the passé simple,
you see it mostly in the third person singular and third person plural. Form it by putting the auxiliaries avoir and être in the passé simple and adding the past participle
of any verb of your choice. Remember to follow the same rules of agreement of the
past participle with the passé antérieur as you do with the passé composé or with
any comound past tense. (Check out Chapter 12 for the lowdown on the rules of
agreement.)
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parler (to speak)
j’eus parlé
nous eûmes parlé
tu eus parlé
vous eûtes parlé
il/elle/on eut parlé
ils/elles eurent parlé
Il eut parlé au peuple à la radio avant d’apparaître à la télévision.
(He had spoken to the people on the radio before appearing on television.)
partir (to leave)
je fus parti(e)
nous fûmes partis(es)
tu fus parti(e)
vous fûtes parti(e)(s)(es)
il/elle/on fut parti(e)
ils/elles furent partis(es)
Ils furent partis avant l’ouragan. (They had left before the hurricane.)
Because the passé antérieur expresses an action that has taken place before the action
of the passé simple, you generally use it after the following conjunctions: quand
(when), lorsque (when), après que (after), dès que (as soon as), and à peine . . . que
(hardly). With the expression à peine . . . que, you have to invert the subject and the
conjugated verb. This is similar to what you do in English with this expression. Look at
the following example and its translation in English.
À peine eut-il fini sa pièce, qu’il la présenta au roi. (Hardly had he finished his
play, when he presented it to the king.)
Quand les étudiants eurent manifesté, les ouvriers les suivirent. (When the
students protested/had protested, the workers followed them.)
Choose between the passé simple and the passé antérieur forms of the verbs in
parentheses and conjugate them.
Q. Lorsque son père _________________ (laisser) ses clés, Sébastien les _________________
(prendre).
A. Lorsque son père eut laissé ses clés, Sébastien les prit. (When his father had left the keys,
Sébastien took them.)
11. A peine qu’il _________________ (sortir), que le téléphone _________________ (sonner).
12. Lorsque le patron _________________ (surveiller) les employés, ils _________________
(travailler) attentivement.
13. Après qu’ils _________________ (finir) leur travail, ils _________________ (être) payés.
14. Quand nous _________________ (décider) de voyager, nous _________________ (choisir)
l’Asie.
15. Dès qu’elle _________________ (finir) ses études, elle _________________ (trouver) du
travail.
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Answer Key
This section contains the correct answers to the practice problems in this chapter.
a
Il naquit le 3 décembre, 1816. (He was born on December 3, 1816.)
b
Les enfants craignirent les histoires d’épouvante. (The children feared the horror stories.)
c
Vous vîtes des tableaux au musée. (You saw paintings at the museum.)
d
Vincent Van Gogh envoya beaucoup de lettres à son frère Théo. (Van Gogh sent many letters to
his brother Théo.)
e
Gaugin passa beaucoup de temps à Tahiti. (Gaugin spent a lot of time in Tahiti.)
f
Nous fîmes des costumes pour Mardi Gras. (We made costumes for Mardi Gras.)
g
Je reçus des cadeaux pour mon anniversaire. (I received gifts for my birthday.)
h
Mon grand-père finit ses études en 1923. (My grandfather finished his studies in 1923.)
i
Il fut stupéfait. (He was astonished.)
j
Elle véçut quarante ans en France. (She lived in France for forty years.)
k
A peine fut-il sorti, que le téléphone sonna. (Hardly had he left, when the telephone rang.)
l
Lorsque le patron eut surveillé les employés, ils travaillèrent attentivement. (When the boss
had kept a watch on the employees, they worked attentively.)
m
Après qu’ils eurent fini leur travail, ils furent payés. (After they had finished their work, they
were paid.)
n
Quand nous eûmes décidé de voyager, nous choisîmes l’Asie. (When we had decided to travel,
we chose Asia.)
o
Dès qu’elle eut fini ses études, elle trouva du travail. (As soon as she had finished her studies,
she found a job.)
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Part IV
Looking Ahead: The Future
and the Conditional Tenses
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A
In this part . . .
fter a long winter, do you look forward to spring?
After an exhausting week at work, do you look forward to the weekend? If so, you’re not alone. But how do
you look forward to things, like your weekend, your vacation, or to a celebration? With the future tense of course.
This part shows you how to form the future tense so
you can express anything you can imagine in the future.
In addition to forming the future tense, I also show you how
to use it in French, which is important because you use the
future tense a bit differently in French than in English following certain expressions. I also explain the future perfect
tense, which you use when you want to state that one
future action has to happen before another future action
can occur, or that you will have to finish something by
a certain time.
In addition to the future and future perfect, I show you
how to form and use the conditional and past conditional
tenses. You can order anything you want to eat or drink in
a French restaurant with the conditional tense and show
your good manners at the same time.
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Chapter 15
Moving Forward with the Future Tense
In This Chapter
Forming the regular and irregular forms of the future tense
Knowing the differences between the future tense in English and in French
Expressing yourself in the future tense
I
magine you’re sitting in a café with your best friend and she asks whether you’ve ever
been to Bora Bora. What a coincidence. You’ve never been there, but you’re planning on
going next month. Do you know which verb tense you use to describe your trip next month?
In order to describe your trip to Bora Bora next month, you use the future tense. With this
tense you can describe events that will occur either at a specific time or an unspecified time
in the future. In this chapter, you can discover how to form the future tense and how to use
it with various expressions.
Forming the Future of Regular Verbs
Do you want to tell your sister about your upcoming doctor’s visit? Or perhaps you want to
tell your brother about the French test you’re dreading that you have to take next week. You
need to use the future tense, which is one of the simplest tenses to form.
Creating the future tense for regular -er, -ir, and -re verbs is a piece of cake. All you have to
do is take the infinitive verb, which serves as the stem, and simply add the appropriate endings. Remember that the future stem of all verbs, be they regular or irregular, always ends in
-r. So for -er and -ir verbs, just add the endings. For -re verbs, drop the e and then add the
appropriate endings, which I show in the following examples. Note: Even some irregular
verbs (those that have an irregular conjugation in the present tense) are regular in the
future because they have a regular stem in the future (just take their infinitives and add the
endings to form the future).
Future Tense Verb Endings
je -ai
nous -ons
tu -as
vous -ez
il/elle/on -a
ils/elles -ont
Do these future endings look familiar? If you’re familiar with the present conjugation of
avoir (to have), you may notice a similarity.
The following are the three categories of regular verbs — -er, -ir, and -re — in the future
tense.
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parler (to speak)
je parlerai
nous parlerons
tu parleras
vous parlerez
il/elle/on parlera
ils/elles parleront
Je parlerai à l’agent de voyage demain. (I will speak to the travel agent tomorrow.)
finir (to finish)
je finirai
nous finirons
tu finiras
vous finirez
il/elle/on finira
ils/elles finiront
Ils finiront leurs études l’année prochaine. (They will finish their studies next year.)
vendre (to sell)
je vendrai
nous vendrons
tu vendras
vous vendrez
il/elle/on vendra
ils/elles vendront
Nous vendrons nos livres à la fin du semestre.
(We will sell our books at the end of the semester.)
Put these verbs in the future tense.
Q. Tu _________________ (étudier).
A. Tu étudieras. (You will study.)
1. Les enfants _________________ (jouer).
2. Il _________________ (apprendre).
3. Vous _________________ (comprendre).
4. Je _________________ (travailler).
5. Nous _________________ (partir).
6. Elle _________________ (réussir).
7. Tu _________________ (lire).
8. Vous _________________ (boire).
9. Les étudiants _________________ (répondre).
10. Nous _________________ (arriver).
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Forming the Future of Spelling-Change Verbs
Some -er verbs have a mute or silent e in the infinitive. When you conjugate these
types of verbs in the present tense, some spelling changes are required in order to
pronounce the mute e. You either add an accent grave to the e, like so (è), or you
double the consonant after the mute e. (See Chapter 3 for a list of these types of
verbs.) The same types of changes occur to these verbs in the future tense. In order
to pronounce the mute e in the infinitive, add an accent grave to the e (see Table 15-1)
or double the consonant after the mute e (see Table 15-2). Now add the future endings, which are always the same.
Verbs whose infinitive form ends in -yer change to -ier before the endings; I show you
examples of these verbs in Table 15-3. (The only exception is the verb envoyer [to
send], whose future stem is enverr-.)
Table 15-1
Adding an Accent Grave (è) to Spelling-Change
Verbs in the Future Tense
Verb
Future Tense Stem
acheter (to buy)
achèter-
amener (to bring)
amèner-
mener (to lead)
mèner-
(se) lever (to rise/to stand up)
(se) lèver-
(se) promener (to go for a walk/a stroll)
(se) promèner-
Table 15-2
Doubling the Consonant of Spelling-Change
Verbs in the Future Tense
Verb
Future Tense Stem
épeler (to spell)
epeller-
jeter (to throw)
jetter-
(s’) appeler (to call/to call oneself/to be named)
(s’) appeller-
Table 15-3
Changing -yer to -ier with Spelling-Change Verbs
in the Future Tense
Verb
Future Tense Stem
employer (to use)
emploier-
essayer (to try)
essaier-
nettoyer (to clean)
nettoier-
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J’achèterai mon billet la semaine prochaine. (I will buy my ticket next week.)
Elle appellera son chien. (She will call her dog.)
Nous nettoierons notre chambre. (We will clean our room.)
The following verbs don’t have a stem change in the future tense. In other words,
don’t change the accents in the infinitive for espérer (to hope), préférer (to prefer),
and répéter (to repeat).
Tu répéteras après le professeur. (You will repeat after the professor.)
Put these verbs in the future tense and then translate the sentences.
Q. Je _________________ (épeler) le nom du pays. __________________________________
A. J’épellerai le nom du pays. I will spell the name of the country.
11. Nous _________________ (essayer) la mousse au chocolat.
__________________________________________________________________________________
12. Ils _________________ (amener) leurs amis.
__________________________________________________________________________________
13. Vous _________________ (jeter) la balle.
__________________________________________________________________________________
14. Je _________________ (appeler) mon ami.
__________________________________________________________________________________
15. Tu _________________ (nettoyer) ta chambre.
__________________________________________________________________________________
16. Elle _________________ (acheter) le jouet.
__________________________________________________________________________________
17. Nous _________________ (préférer) le thé.
__________________________________________________________________________________
18. Elles _________________ (mener) le groupe.
__________________________________________________________________________________
19. Tu _________________ (espérer) voyager.
__________________________________________________________________________________
20. Vous _________________ (employer) l’ordinateur.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Forming the Future of Irregular Verbs
Some verbs have an irregular future stem. However, the endings remain the same.
Table 15-4 lists the verbs with the irregular future tense stem.
Table 15-4
Irregular Future Tense Verbs
Irregular Verb
Future Tense Stem
aller (to go)
ir-
avoir (to have)
aur-
courir (to run)
courr-
devenir (to become)
deviendr-
devoir (to owe, to have to)
devr-
envoyer (to send)
enverr-
être (to be)
ser-
faire (to do, to make)
fer-
falloir (to have to, to must)
faudr-
mourir (to die)
mourr-
pleuvoir (to rain)
pleuvr-
pouvoir (to be able to)
pourr-
recevoir (to receive)
recevr-
retenir (to retain, to keep)
retiendr-
revenir (to come back)
reviendr-
savoir (to know)
saur-
tenir (to hold)
tiendr-
valoir (to be worth)
vaudr-
venir (to come)
viendr-
voir (to see)
verr-
vouloir (to want to)
voudr-
J’irai à la plage. (I will go to the beach.)
Elle saura la réponse bientôt. (She will know the answer soon.)
Put the following verbs in the future tense and translate them.
Q. Il _________________ (pleuvoir) demain.
A. Il pleuvra demain. It will rain tomorrow.
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21. Vous _________________ (aller) au cinéma.
__________________________________________________________________________________
22. Tu _________________ (venir) ce soir.
__________________________________________________________________________________
23. Ils _________________ (voir) le film.
__________________________________________________________________________________
24. Je _________________ (pouvoir) sortir.
__________________________________________________________________________________
25. Nous _________________ (faire) le marché.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Identifying the Differences between English
and French when Using the Future Tense
You use the future tense a bit differently in French than in English. In French, you use
the future with expressions that imply a future action, as in the expressions as soon
as and when. For example, in English you say, When I go to France, I will speak French.
However, you aren’t in France yet and therefore this implies a future action. The
French say, When I will go to France, I will speak French. Table 15-5 is a short table
with these expressions.
Table 15-5
Expressions Followed by the Future
French Expression
English Translation
aussitôt que
as soon as
dès que
as soon as
lorsque
when
quand
when
tant que
as long as
Aussitôt que papa rentrera, nous dînerons. (As soon as dad comes [will come]
home, we will have dinner.)
Translate the following sentences. Remember that the future tense is used in both
clauses in French.
Q. As long as it doesn’t rain, we will go to the beach.
A. Tant qu’il ne pleuvra pas, nous irons à la plage.
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26. As soon as we have dinner, we will go to the movies.
__________________________________________________________________________________
27. When they go to Rome, they will visit the Coliseum.
__________________________________________________________________________________
28. I will travel as soon as I have enough money.
__________________________________________________________________________________
29. When we wake up, we will have breakfast.
__________________________________________________________________________________
30. She will have a glass of wine when she finishes these exercises.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Expressing Yourself and Using References:
Future Style
After you become comfortable creating the simple future tense, you’ll become familiar with some expressions and when to use them. These expressions allow you to
form complete sentences in order to describe future events. Table 15-6 lists some
time expressions, which provide more specific information as to when in the future
the event will take place. You can place them either in the beginning or at the end of
the sentence.
Table 15-6
Important Expressions to Use with the Future Tense
French Expression
English Translation
demain
tomorrow
demain matin
tomorrow morning
demain après-midi
tomorrow afternoon
demain soir
tomorrow evening
la semaine prochaine
next week
le mois prochain
next month
l’année prochaine
next year
lundi prochain
next Monday
plus tard
later
cet après-midi
this afternoon
ce soir
this evening
cet été
this summer
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Ils passeront un examen demain. (They will take the test tomorrow.)
Translate the following sentences into French by using the future tense.
Q. I will see my friends next Monday.
A. Je verrai mes amis lundi prochain.
31. We will travel to Europe this summer.
__________________________________________________________________________________
32. I will play tennis next week.
__________________________________________________________________________________
33. My in-laws will be arriving later.
__________________________________________________________________________________
34. The professors will attend a conference next month.
__________________________________________________________________________________
35. My friends and I will go to the movies Saturday evening.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Now translate the following sentences from French to English by using the future tense.
Q. Je partirai demain matin.
A. I will leave tomorrow morning.
36. Ils étudieront pour l’examen final.
__________________________________________________________________________________
37. Michelle se réveillera à 7 heures demain matin.
__________________________________________________________________________________
38. Nous nagerons cet après-midi.
__________________________________________________________________________________
39. Vous vous verrez la semaine prochaine.
__________________________________________________________________________________
40. Il achètera une nouvelle voiture.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 15: Moving Forward with the Future Tense
Answer Key
In this section you can find all the answers to the practice exercises in this chapter.
How did you do?
a
Les enfants joueront. (The children will play.)
b
Il apprendra. (He will learn.)
c
Vous comprendrez. (You will understand.)
d
Je travaillerai. (I will work.)
e
Nous partirons. (We will leave.)
f
Elle réussira. (She will succeed.)
g
Tu liras. (You will read.)
h
Vous boirez. (You will drink.)
i
Les étudiants répondront. (The students will answer.)
j
Nous arriverons. (We will arrive.)
k
Nous essaierons la mousse au chocolat. We will try the chocolate mousse.
l
Ils amèneront leurs amis. They will bring their friends.
m
Vous jetterez la balle. You will throw the ball.
n
J’appellerai mon ami. I will call my friend.
o
Tu nettoieras ta chambre. You will clean your room.
p
Elle achètera le jouet. She will buy the toy.
q
Nous préférerons le thé. We will prefer tea.
r
Elles mèneront le groupe. They will lead the group.
s
Tu espéreras voyager. You will hope to travel.
t
Vous emploierez l’ordinateur. You will use the computer.
u
Vous irez au cinéma. You will go to the movies.
v
Tu viendras ce soir. You will come this evening.
w
Ils verront le film. They will see the film.
x
Je pourrai sortir. I will be able to go out.
y
Nous ferons le marché. We will do the shopping.
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A
Aussitôt que nous dînerons, nous irons au cinéma.
B
Quand ils iront à Rome, ils visiteront le Colisée.
C
Je voyagerai dès que j’aurai assez d’argent.
D
Lorsque nous nous réveillerons, nous prendrons le petit-déjeuner.
E
Elle aura un verre de vin quand elle finira ces exercices.
F
Nous voyagerons en Europe cet été.
G
Je jouerai au tennis la semaine prochaine.
H
Mes beaux-parents arriveront plus tard.
I
Les professeurs assisteront à une conférence le mois prochain.
J
Mes amis et moi iront au cinéma samedi soir.
K
They will study for the final exam.
L
Michelle will wake up at 7 o’clock tomorrow morning.
M
We will go swimming this afternoon.
N
You will see each other next week.
O
He will buy a new car.
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Chapter 16
Completing a Future Action
with the Future Perfect
In This Chapter
Creating the future perfect tense
Knowing the expressions that require the use of the future perfect
I
n today’s world, when everything has to be done yesterday, do you ever say to yourself
“I will have this or that done by a certain time,” such as before you leave the office or by
Friday? If so, you use the future perfect tense.
The future perfect tense is a compound tense requiring an auxiliary and a past participle.
You use it to describe events that will have taken place before another future action. You
can also use the future perfect alone to express that a future action will have been completed by a certain time in the future. The meaning of this tense in English is will have done
something. You can also use the future perfect to express a probability or a supposition. For
example, Paul n’est pas venu à l’école hier. Il aura été malade means Paul did not come to
school yesterday. He probably was/must have been ill.
Like the simple future tense (see Chapter 15), you use the future perfect with expressions
that imply a future action, such as when and as soon as. In this chapter, you discover how to
form the future perfect tense and how to correctly use it.
Forming the Future Perfect
The future perfect tense is a compound tense, and it follows the same pattern as all other
past compound tenses in French. You need one of the two auxiliaries, avoir (to have) or
être (to be), followed by the past participle of any verb you want.
You form the future perfect by putting the auxiliaries in the future tense and adding the past
participle of the verb of your choice. Remember that the choice of the auxiliary depends on
the verb. Most verbs take the auxiliary avoir, and some take être. (For a list of these verbs
and for the formation of the past participles, see Chapter 12.)
First, you need to know how to conjugate avoir and être in the future tense. After you conjugate the auxiliary, you add the past participle.
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avoir (to have)
j’aurai
nous aurons
tu auras
vous aurez
il/elle/on aura
ils/elles auront
Ils auront les résultats bientôt. (They will have the results soon.)
être (to be)
je serai
nous serons
tu seras
vous serez
il/elle/on sera
ils/elles seront
Nous serons à l’heure. (We will be on time.)
The following tables show three examples — the verbs finir (to finish), arriver (to
arrive), and se réveiller (to wake up). Finir takes the auxiliary avoir, arriver takes
être, and se réveiller also takes être.
For pronominal verbs, place the pronominal pronoun in front of the auxiliary être,
which is followed by the past participle of the verb. All pronominal verbs are conjugated with the auxiliary être.
finir (to finish)
j’aurai fini
nous aurons fini
tu auras fini
vous aurez fini
il/elle/on aura fini
ils/elles auront fini
Ils auront fini avant le weekend. (They will have finished before the weekend.)
arriver (to arrive)
je serai arrivé(e)
nous serons arrivés(es)
tu seras arrivé(e)
vous serez arrivé(s)(e)(es)
il/elle/on sera arrivé(e)
ils/elles seront arrivés(es)
Nous serons arrivés avant le 5 août. (We will have arrived before the 5th of August.)
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se réveiller (to wake up)
je me serai réveillé(e)
nous nous serons réveillés(es)
tu te seras réveillé(e)
vous vous serez réveillé (s)(e)(es)
il/elle/on se sera réveillé(e)
ils/elles se seront réveillés(es)
Je me serai réveillé(e) de bonne heure pour préparer le petit-déjeuner.
(I will have awakened early to prepare breakfast.)
Put the following verbs in the future perfect and then translate the sentences.
Q. Je _________________ (finir) mes exercices.
A. J’aurai fini mes exercices. I will have finished my exercises.
1. Ils _________________ (avoir) un accident.
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Elle _________________ (prendre) le vol d’avant.
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Tu _________________ (ne pas manger) toute la journée.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Vous _________________ (partir) tôt.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Il lui _________________ (envoyer) des fleurs.
__________________________________________________________________________________
6. Elle _________________ (appeler) la police.
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. Ils _________________ (oublier) de fermer à clé.
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. Tu _________________ (voir) la Joconde.
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. Vous _________________ (gagner) la loterie.
__________________________________________________________________________________
10. Il _________________ (rentrer).
__________________________________________________________________________________
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To put the future perfect in the negative, simply place the ne before the auxiliary and
place pas or any other negative word after the auxiliary. For pronominal verbs, the ne
precedes the pronominal pronoun and the pas or another negative word follows the
auxiliary.
Il n’aura pas fini sa composition avant la classe. (He will not have finished his
composition before class.)
Tu ne te seras pas levé avant sept heures. (You will not have gotten up by seven
o’clock.)
Put these verbs in the future perfect tense and then translate the sentences.
Q. Nous _________________ (ne pas se rencontrer) avant samedi.
A. Nous ne nous serons pas rencontrés avant samedi. We will not have met each other
before Saturday.
11. Il _________________ (partir) avant huit heures.
__________________________________________________________________________________
12. Nous _________________ (ne pas manger) avant de sortir.
__________________________________________________________________________________
13. Les enfants _________________ (rentrer) après avoir joué au foot.
__________________________________________________________________________________
14. Dans une semaine, tu _________________ (recevoir) ton diplôme.
__________________________________________________________________________________
15. Tu _________________ (se réveiller) avant notre départ.
__________________________________________________________________________________
16. Mes parents _________________ (ne pas arriver) avant dix heures.
__________________________________________________________________________________
17. Dans trois jours nous _________________ (partir) pour l’Australie.
__________________________________________________________________________________
18. Je _________________ (poster) les cartes postales avant la fin de la journée.
__________________________________________________________________________________
19. Avant de quitter le pays, Eric _________________ (vendre) sa voiture.
__________________________________________________________________________________
20. Tu _________________ (ne pas rester) après minuit.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Using the Future Perfect Correctly
Like the future tense (see Chapter 15), you can use the future perfect with expressions
that imply a future action, as in the expressions as soon as and when. However, doing so
is very different from English, which uses the present or present perfect tense. Check
out the following example: In English, you say As soon as I finish my courses, I will
receive my diploma. You haven’t finished your courses yet, so this statement implies
a future action. In French, you can either use the future simple tense in both clauses
(As soon as I will finish my courses, I will receive my diploma.) or because one action
(the fact that I will have to finish my courses) has to happen before another action can
take place (I will receive my diploma), you use the future perfect followed by the future
(As soon as I will have finished my courses, I will receive my diploma).
Dès que je finirai mes cours, je recevrai mon diplôme. (As soon as I will finish my
courses, I will receive my diploma.)
Dès que j’aurai fini mes cours, je recevrai mon diplôme. (As soon as I will have
finished my courses, I will receive my diploma.)
You can also use the future or future perfect after the expressions après que (after),
tant que (as long as), or une fois que (once) if future action is implied. Table 16-1 lists
some common French expressions. If you see one of these expressions, you may need
to use the future perfect tense if the future is implied.
Table 16-1
Common Future Perfect Expressions
French Expression
English Translation
après que
after
aussitôt que
as soon as
dès que
as soon as
lorsque
when
quand
when
tant que
as long as
une fois que
once
Après que mes invités seront arrivés, je servirai l’apéritif. (After my guests will
have arrived, I will serve the aperitif.)
You can also use the future perfect to express or even explain a probability.
Caroline n’est pas chez elle, elle aura travaillé tard. (Caroline is not at home, she
must have had to work late.)
Choose between the future and the future perfect. Remember to put the action that
has to come first in the future perfect and the action that comes second in the simple
future.
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Q. Une fois que nous _________________ (faire) nos devoirs, nous _________________ (aller)
voir un film.
A. Une fois que nous aurons fait nos devoirs, nous irons voir un film. (Once we will have
done our homework, we will go see a movie.)
21. Je te _________________ (payer) aussitôt que je _________________ (toucher) mon chèque.
22. Après qu’il _________________ (trouver) un emploi, sa femme _________________
(ne plus travailler).
23. Lorsque que l’entrepreneur _________________ (construire) notre maison, nous
_________________ (déménager).
24. Nous _________________ (sortir) après qu’Alexandre _________________ (s’habiller).
25. Une fois que je _________________ (acheter) les billets, nous _________________ (pouvoir)
entrer.
26. Quand je _____ (finir) mes études, mes parents me _________________ (donner) un
cadeau.
27. Vous _____ (envoyer) votre curriculum vitae quand tu le _________________ (rédiger).
28. Tu _____ (faire) le tour du monde lorsque tu _________________ (gagner) à la loterie.
29. Aussitôt que vous _________________ (se lever), je vous _________________ (préparer)
quelque chose à manger.
30. Une fois qu’elle _________________ (prendre) des médicaments, elle _________________
(se sentir) mieux.
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Chapter 16: Completing a Future Action with the Future Perfect
Answer Key
This section includes the answers to the practice problems in this chapter. Compare
your answers to see how you did.
a
Ils auront eu un accident. They probably had/must have had an accident.
b
Elle aura pris le vol d’avant. She probably took/must have taken an earlier flight.
c
Tu n’auras pas mangé toute la journée. You will not have eaten/probably have not eaten all day.
d
Vous serez parti tôt. You will probably have left/must have left early.
e
Il lui aura envoyé des fleurs. He will have sent/probably sent her/him flowers.
f
Elle aura appelé la police. She will have called/probably called/must have called the police.
g
Ils auront oublié de fermer à clé. They probably forgot/must have forgotten to lock the door.
h
Tu auras vu la Joconde. You will have seen/probably saw/must have seen the Mona Lisa.
i
Vous aurez gagné la loterie. You probably won/must have won the lottery.
j
Il sera rentré. He will have come back home/probably came/must have come home.
k
Il sera parti avant huit heures. He will have left by eight o’clock.
l
Nous n’aurons pas mangé avant de sortir. We will not have eaten before leaving.
m
Les enfants seront rentrés après avoir joué au foot. The children will have come home after
having played soccer.
n
Dans une semaine, tu auras reçu ton diplôme. In a week, you will have received your diploma
(will have graduated).
o
Tu te seras réveillé(e) avant notre départ. You will have awakened before our departure.
p
Mes parents ne seront pas arrivés avant dix heures. My parents will not have arrived before/by
ten o’clock.
q
Dans trois jours nous serons partis pour l’Australie. In three days, we will have left for Australia.
r
J’aurai posté les cartes postales avant la fin de la journée. I will have mailed the postcards
before the end of the day.
s
Avant de quitter le pays, Eric aura vendu sa voiture. Before leaving the country, Eric will have
sold his car.
t
Tu ne seras pas resté(e) après minuit. You will not have stayed after midnight.
u
Je te paierai aussitôt que j’aurai touché mon chèque. (I will pay you as soon as I will have
cashed my check.)
v
Après qu’il aura trouvé un emploi, sa femme ne travaillera plus. (After he will have found a
job, his wife will no longer work.)
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w
Lorsque que l’entrepreneur aura construit notre maison, nous déménagerons. (When the contractor will have built our house, we will move.)
x
Nous sortirons après qu’Alexandre se sera habillé. (We will go out after Alexandre will have
gotten dressed.)
y
Une fois que j’aurai acheté les billets, nous pourrons entrer. (Once I will have bought the tickets,
we will be able to enter.)
A
Quand j’aurai fini mes études, mes parents me donneront un cadeau. (When I will have finished my studies, my parents will give me a gift.)
B
Vous enverrez votre curriculum vitae quand vous l’aurez rédigé. (You will send your curriculum
vitae [résumé] when you will have written it up.)
C
Tu feras le tour du monde lorsque tu auras gagné à la loterie. (You will take a trip around the
world when you will have won the lottery.)
D
Aussitôt que vous vous serez levé, je vous préparerai quelque chose à manger. (As soon as
you will have gotten up, I will prepare you something to eat.)
E
Une fois qu’elle aura pris des médicaments, elle se sentira mieux. (Once she will have taken
medication, she will feel better.)
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Chapter 17
Could-ing and Would-ing with the
Present Conditional Tense
In This Chapter
Creating the conditional tense
Trying the conditional
Y
ou likely use the present conditional tense all the time, whether you realize it or not.
Perhaps you and your friends sit around and talk about not what you do (present
tense), did do (past tense), or will do (future tense) but about what you would do (conditional tense). Examples in English include sentences like I would go out with him, We would
go to the movies if anything good were playing, You would tell her what you think, and They
would throw a great party.
So, the conditional is a mood that expresses a possibility, a supposition, or a wish. You also
use it to make polite requests or suggestions, as in Would you allow me to accompany you?
or I would choose the yellow dress. The conditional has two tenses: present and past. This
chapter concentrates on the present conditional; see Chapter 18 for more on the past conditional. As you can tell from the examples, the conditional tense is translated as would in
English. (But don’t confuse the conditional tense with the imperfect tense that I talk about
in Chapter 11. The imperfect can express the would of the past, as in When I was young, I
would go fishing with my grandfather, meaning that I used to go fishing with my grandfather.)
At first, you may be able to get by without the present conditional in French. But this tense
makes you more polite, makes your writing more interesting, and spices up your conversation. Read through this chapter and master the ability to tell the world what you would do.
Forming the Conditional
The conditional tense allows you to express your opinions, likes, and dislikes more politely,
and to make suggestions without seeming too imposing. You may even call it the diplomatic
tense. Furthermore, you use the conditional tense in hypothetical sentences as in If it were
not raining, we would go to the beach.
You form the conditional by taking the infinitive of most verbs (the infinitive provides the
stem) and adding endings. If you read Chapter 15, you see that you form the future tense the
same way. The conditional and the future tenses share a stem, but the endings are different.
The endings of the future tense are derived from the verb avoir (to have), whereas the endings for the conditional match the endings for the imperfect tense (see the following table).
The conditional tense is a composite of the future and the imperfect; it has the same stem
as the future tense and the endings of the imperfect tense. (If you need more information on
the future tense, see Chapter 15; for details on the imperfect tense, see Chapter 11.)
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Imperfect and Conditional Verb Endings
je -ais
nous -ions
tu -ais
vous -iez
il/elle/on -ait
ils/elles -aient
The conditional stem always ends in r; therefore, remember to drop the e from -re
verbs. Check out the following examples on how to conjugate regular verbs in the
present conditional tense.
parler (to speak)
je parlerais
nous parlerions
tu parlerais
vous parleriez
il/elle/on parlerait
ils/elles parleraient
Il parlerait au directeur. (He would speak to the director.)
finir (to finish)
je finirais
nous finirions
tu finirais
vous finiriez
il/elle/on finirait
ils/elles finiraient
Nous finirions avant huit heures. (We would finish before eight o’clock.)
vendre (to sell)
je vendrais
nous vendrions
tu vendrais
vous vendriez
il/elle/on vendrait
ils/elles vendraient
Je vendrais ma voiture. (I would sell my car.)
Now you can practice forming the conditional tense. Put the following verbs in the
present conditional.
Q. Je (demander) des renseignements.
A. Je demanderais des renseignements. (I would ask for information.)
1. Vous _________________ (voyager).
2. Sarah _________________ (écrire) des poèmes.
3. Nous _________________ (rendre) les vidéos.
4. M. et Mme Nadal _________________ (choisir) du champagne.
5. Tu _________________ (s’inscrire) à l’université.
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6. Julien _________________ (obéir) au conseiller.
7. Je _________________ (poser) des questions.
8. Mlle Cottin, _________________ (aimer)-vous du café?
9. Amélie _________________ (préférer) la vanille au chocolat.
10. Mes amis et moi _________________ (sortir) ce soir.
Considering spelling-change -er verbs
With some -er infinitives, you can add either an accent grave (see Table 17-1) or
double the consonant (see Table 17-2) in order to form the conditional stem (as well
as the future tense). Also, verbs whose infinitive form ends in -yer change to -ier
before adding the endings (see Table 17-3). (The only exception is the verb envoyer
[to send], whose future and conditional stem is enverr-.) Check out the following
tables for lists of these verbs.
Table 17-1
Adding the Accent Grave (è) to Spelling-Change
Verbs in the Conditional Tense
Verb
Conditional Tense Stem
acheter (to buy)
achèter-
amener (to bring)
amèner-
mener (to lead)
mèner-
Table 17-2
Doubling the Consonant of Spelling-Change
Verbs in the Conditional Tense
Verb
Conditional Tense Stem
épeler (to spell)
épeller-
jeter (to throw)
jetter-
(s’) appeler (to call [oneself], to name)
(s’) appeller-
Table 17-3
Changing -yer to -ier with Spelling-Change
Verbs in the Conditional Tense
Verb
Conditional Tense Stem
employer (to use)
emploier-
essayer (to try)
essaier-
nettoyer (to clean)
nettoier-
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Tu essaierais les escargots. (You would try the snails.)
The following verbs don’t have a stem change in the conditional tense: préférer (to
prefer), espérer (to hope), and répéter (to repeat).
Nous préférerions le vin blanc. (We would prefer the white wine.)
Conjugate the infinitive into the present conditional tense in the following practice
problems.
Q. Il _________________ (amener) sa petite amie.
A. Il amènerait sa petite amie. (He would bring his girlfriend.)
11. Nous _________________ (acheter) des disques compacts.
12. Tu _________________ (nettoyer) ton appartement.
13. Les étudiants _________________ (répéter) le dialogue.
14. Vous _________________ (épeler) des mots difficiles.
15. Les enfants _________________ (jeter) des cailloux.
16. Nous _________________ (espérer) rester.
17. Elle _________________ (employer) l’ordinateur.
18. Vous _________________ (amener) vos parents.
19. Marc _________________ (acheter) des baguettes.
20. Je _________________ (mener) la discussion.
Creating the conditional with irregular verbs
Some verbs have an irregular stem. Despite this irregularity, however, you still form
the conditional the same way by adding the same endings. Table 17-4 shows these
irregular verbs in alphabetical order with the irregular stems and the verbs’ English
translations.
Table 17-4
Irregular Conditional Tense Verbs
Irregular Verb
Conditional Tense Stem
aller (to go)
ir-
avoir (to have)
aur-
courir (to run)
courr-
devenir (to become)
deviendr-
devoir (to owe, to have to)
devr-
envoyer (to send)
enverr-
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Chapter 17: Could-ing and Would-ing with the Present Conditional Tense
Irregular Verb
Conditional Tense Stem
être (to be)
ser-
faire (to do, to make)
fer-
falloir (to have to, must)
faudr-
mourir (to die)
mourr-
pleuvoir (to rain)
pleuvr-
pouvoir (to be able to)
pourr-
recevoir (to receive)
recevr-
retenir (to retain, to keep)
retiendr-
revenir (to come back)
reviendr-
savoir (to know)
saur-
tenir (to hold)
tiendr-
valoir (to be worth)
vaudr-
venir (to come)
viendr-
voir (to see)
verr-
vouloir (to want)
voudr-
Nous tiendrions le drapeau. (We would hold the flag.)
Form the conditional tense of the verbs in parentheses.
Q. Je _________________ (être) ravi de vous voir.
A. Je serais ravi de vous voir. (I would be delighted to see you.)
21. _________________ (pouvoir)-vous m’aider?
22. Je _________________ (acheter) des vêtements.
23. Mathieu, tu _________________ (devoir) être prudent.
24. Nous _________________ (faire) la cuisine.
Using the Conditional
The conditional tense is very versatile — you use it on a daily basis. The conditional
tense helps you avoid some faux pas and shows your good manners. You use the conditional in order to be polite, to make suggestions, or to hypothesize. In this section, I
show you how to use the conditional step by step. I also provide problems for you to
practice these concepts.
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Being polite, expressing a wish,
and offering suggestions
First and foremost, you use the conditional tense to make polite requests or suggestions. The most common verbs that are used this way are vouloir (to want to), aimer
(to like, to love), pouvoir (to be able to), and devoir (to owe, to have to). For example,
if you’re at a restaurant or a café and you’re ordering, using the conditional is much
more polite than the present tense.
Je voudrais/j’aimerais un Orangina. (I would like an Orangina.)
Pourriez-vous me prêter votre stylo? (Could you lend me your pen?)
For offering suggestions, use the verb devoir (to have to) in the conditional followed
by the infinitive. Devoir in the conditional means should in English.
Tu devrais faire attention. (You should pay attention.)
Try being polite or making suggestions by using the present conditional tense. Translate
the following sentences into French. You can use either est-ce que or inversion. (In the
Answer Key, I use inversion whenever possible.)
Q. Could they accompany us?
A. Est-ce qu’ils pourraient nous accompagner? Or, Pourraient-ils nous accompagner?
25. Would you like some coffee? __________________________________
26. They should not smoke. __________________________________
27. Could you help me? __________________________________
28. She should stay in bed. __________________________________
Wondering if: The hypothetical
You also use the conditional in the second hypothetical sentence’s result clause when
you’re using the imperfect in the si (if) clause. In other words,
Si + imperfect yields the present conditional in the result clause.
The following examples show how to use the conditional with a hypothetical sentence.
S’il pleuvait, je porterais un imperméable. (If it were raining, I would wear a
raincoat.)
Si nous avions du temps, nous partirions ce weekend. (If we had/were to have
time, we would leave or get away this weekend.)
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You can switch the two clauses by starting your sentence with the result clause and
following it with the si clause. What you can’t do is switch the verb tenses.
Ils réussiraient aux examens, s’ils étudiaient. (They would pass the exams if they
studied/were to study.)
Now it’s your turn to practice some hypothetical sentences. I fill in the imperfect
tense after the si clause, and you fill in the conditional tense in the result clause.
Q. S’il faisait beau, nous _________________ (pouvoir) pique-niquer.
A. S’il faisait beau, nous pourrions pique-niquer. (If it were nice out, we would be able to
have a picnic.)
29. Si tu n’étais pas en retard, tu _________________ (ne pas manquer) le train.
30. Vous _________________ (voir) l’exposition si vous alliez au musée.
31. S’ils pouvaient voyager, où _________________ (aller)-ils?
32. S’il neigeait, les enfants _________________ (faire) un bonhomme de neige.
33. Je _________________ (être) décu si je ratais mon bac.
Conditional with indirect discourse
The last way you can use the conditional tense is in an indirect discourse, such as
when the main verb is in the past tense, and then you use the conditional to express
the future. In indirect discourse one person repeats or cites the words of another.
For example: Marc said that he would come to the opera. Marc a dit qu’il viendrait à
l’opéra.
Ils ont admis qu’ils ne sauraient pas quoi faire. (They admitted that they would
not know what to do.)
The following sentences are in indirect discourse. Put the verb in parentheses in the
conditional.
Q. Mélanie a dit qu’elle _________________ (venir) sa maison.
A. Mélanie a dit qu’elle vendrait sa maison. (Melanie said that she would sell her house.)
34. Olivier m’a dit qu’il _________________ (venir) me voir dimanche.
35. Ils ont affirmé qu’ils _________________ (pouvoir) réparer la voiture.
36. Céline a expliqué qu’elle _________________ (suivre) des cours de finance.
37. Les enfants avaient annoncé qu’ils _________________ (jouer) dans le parc.
38. Sébastien a declaré qu’il _________________ (partir) bientôt.
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Answer Key
In this section, you can find the answers to the exercises in this chapter. Compare
your answers to the correct ones.
a
Vous voyageriez. (You would travel.)
b
Sarah écrirait des poèmes. (Sarah would write poems.)
c
Nous rendrions les vidéos. (We would give back the videos.)
d
M. et Mme Nadal choisiraient du champagne. (Mr. and Mrs. Nadal would choose champagne.)
e
Tu t’inscrirais à l’université. (You would register at the university.)
f
Julien obéirait au conseiller. (Julien would obey the counselor.)
g
Je poserais des questions. (I would ask questions.)
h
Mlle Cottin, aimeriez-vous du café? (Miss Cottin, would you like some coffee?)
i
Amélie préférerait la vanille au chocolat. (Amélie would prefer vanilla to chocolate.)
j
Mes amis et moi sortirions ce soir. (My friends and I would go out this evening.)
k
Nous achèterions des disques compacts. (We would buy CDs.)
l
Tu nettoierais ton appartement. (You would clean your apartment.)
m
Les étudiants répéteraient le dialogue. (The students would repeat the dialog.)
n
Vous épelleriez des mots difficiles. (You would spell difficult words.)
o
Les enfants jetteraient des cailloux. (The children would throw pebbles.)
p
Nous espérerions rester. (We would hope to stay.)
q
Elle emploierait l’ordinateur. (She would use the computer.)
r
Vous amèneriez vos parents. (You would bring your parents.)
s
Marc achèterait des baguettes. (Marc would buy some baguettes.)
t
Je mènerais la discussion. (I would lead the discussion.)
u
Pourriez-vous m’aider? (Would you be able to help me?)
v
J’achèterais des vêtements. (I would buy clothes.)
w
Mathieu, tu devrais être prudent. (Mathieu, you should be careful.)
x
Nous ferions la cuisine. (We would cook.)
y
Voudriez-vous du café? Or, Voudrais-tu du café?
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Chapter 17: Could-ing and Would-ing with the Present Conditional Tense
A
Ils ne devraient pas fumer.
B
Pourriez-vous m’aider? Or, Pourrais-tu m’aider?
C
Elle devrait rester au lit.
D
Si tu n’étais pas en retard, tu ne manquerais pas le train. (If you were not late, you would not
miss the train.)
E
Vous verriez l’exposition si vous alliez au musée. (You would see the exhibit if you were to go
to the museum.)
F
S’ils pouvaient voyager, où iraient-ils? (If they could/were able to travel, where would they go?)
G
S’il neigeait, les enfants feraient un bonhomme de neige. (If it were snowing, the children would
make a snowman.)
H
Je serais déçu si je ratais mon bac. (I would be disappointed if I were to fail my bac
[baccalaureate].)
I
Olivier m’a dit qu’il viendrait me voir dimanche. (Olivier told me that he would come see me
on Sunday.)
J
Ils ont affirmé qu’ils pourraient réparer la voiture. (They affirmed that they would be able to
repair the car.)
K
Céline a expliqué qu’elle suivrait des cours de finance. (Céline explained that she would take
courses in finance.)
L
Les enfants avaient annoncé qu’ils joueraient dans le parc. (The children had announced that
they would play in the park.)
M
Sébastien a declaré qu’il partirait bientôt. (Sébastien declared that he would leave soon.)
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Chapter 18
Trying the Past Conditional Tense:
Could Have and Would Have
In This Chapter
Forming the past conditional tense
Using the past conditional
Y
ou use the past conditional tense in all those situations when you could just kick yourself because you should have said this or should have done that. For example, you may
say I should have locked the door when a thief takes your car stereo or I should not have
locked the door when you lock your keys inside your car. You may tell your friend you should
have gone out with him or you may say she shouldn’t have said that if you’re trying to make
someone feel better. In all those instances, you’re using the past conditional tense.
The past conditional often expresses a missed opportunity in the past, an uncertainty, or a
regret. For example, Elle aurait voulu voyager mais elle n’avait pas assez d’argent means She
would have liked to travel but she didn’t have enough money. In English, the past conditional is
translated as would have done something. Furthermore, in English it’s used to express what
would have or would not have occurred if something had happened or had not happened.
In this chapter, I show you how to form the past conditional tense and then how to use it. I
offer plenty of exercises so that you can practice these concepts.
Creating the Past Conditional
You form the past conditional by putting the auxiliaries avoir (to have) and être (to be) in
the conditional tense and adding the past participle of the verbs. Check out the following
tables that conjugate the auxiliaries in the conditional form.
avoir (to have)
j’aurais
nous aurions
tu aurais
vous auriez
il/elle/on aurait
ils/elles auraient
être (to be)
je serais
nous serions
tu serais
vous seriez
il/elle/on serait
ils/elles seraient
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The verbs étudier (to study) and partir (to leave) serve as examples of the two types of
auxiliaries: avoir and être. Étudier takes the auxiliary avoir, and partir takes être. The
past participle of verbs taking être as their auxiliary agrees with the subject. Therefore,
if the subject is feminine singular, add an e, if it’s masculine plural, add an s, and if it’s
feminine plural, add an es. If you aren’t sure about the past participle of verbs, look at
Chapter 12.
étudier (to study)
j’aurais étudié
nous aurions étudié
tu aurais étudié
vous auriez étudié
il/elle/on aurait étudié
ils/elles auraient étudié
Elle aurait étudié. (She would have studied.)
partir (to leave)
je serais parti(e)
nous serions partis(es)
tu serais parti(e)
vous seriez parti(e)(s)(es)
il/elle/on serait parti(e)
ils/elles seraient partis(es)
Nous serions partis. (We would have left.)
Nous aurions voulu vous aider. (We would have liked to help you.)
Ils seraient arrivés. (They would have arrived.)
For pronominal verbs, place the pronominal pronoun in front of the auxiliary être,
which is followed by the past participle of the verb. Remember that all pronominal
verbs are conjugated with the auxiliary être, which is conjugated in the conditional.
se lever (to get up)
je me serais levé(e)
nous nous serions levés(es)
tu te serais levé(e)
vous vous seriez levé(e)(s)(es)
il/elle/on se serait levé(e)
ils/elles se seraient levés(es)
Vous vous seriez levés. (You would have gotten up.)
To make the past conditional negative, place ne in front of the auxiliary and pas after
the auxiliary. For pronominal verbs, place ne in front of the pronominal pronoun
and the pas after the auxiliary.
Je n’aurais pas fini. (I would not have finished.)
Benjamin ne se serait pas réveillé. (Benjamin would not have woken up.)
To ask a question using inversion with past tenses, you simply invert the subject and
the auxiliary.
Serions-nous arrivés à l’heure? (Would we have arrived on time?)
Te serais-tu amusé? (Would you have had fun?)
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Chapter 18: Trying the Past Conditional Tense: Could Have and Would Have
Now it’s your turn. Put the verbs in parentheses in the past conditional.
Q. Corinne _________________ (devoir) téléphoner.
A. Corinne aurait dû téléphoner. (Corinne should have called.)
1. Antoine _________________ (payer) par chèque.
2. Vous _________________ (préférer) partir tôt.
3. Mélanie et Alexandre _________________ (se souvenir) de leur jeunesse.
4. Tu _________________ (rester) toute la journée.
5. Sarah _________________ (pouvoir) te présenter à ses amis.
6. Je _________________ (apprendre) le russe.
7. Étienne _________________ (recevoir) la médaille.
8. Nous _________________ (se voir).
9. Les parents de Sophie _________________ (être) déçus.
10. Aurore _________________ (aimer) les rencontrer au café.
Correctly Using the Past Conditional
The past conditional expresses a missed opportunity or a regret. You can use the past
conditional in a simple sentence or in a more complex sentence with two or more
clauses. For example, you can say J’aurais dû étudier plus (I should have studied
more), or you can say Si j’avais eu temps, j’aurais étudié plus (If I had had the time,
I would have studied more).
Before you correctly use the past conditional in a complex sentence, you need to
understand how you use it in a hypothetical sentence. A hypothetical sentence
expresses a supposition, a condition, or a possibility introduced by the conjunction if
or si. A hypothetical sentence has two clauses — a subordinate clause introduced by
si and a result clause or a main clause. The tenses of these clauses vary depending on
which hypothetical sentence you use. Here’s what you need to know about the three
hypothetical sentences:
In the first hypothetical sentence, you use the present after si, and you can use
the present, the immediate future, the simple future, or even the imperative form
in the result clause. Use the tense that makes the most sense for what you want
to say.
In the second hypothetical sentence, you use the imperfect after si, and you use
the present conditional in the result clause. (See Chapter 17.)
In the third hypothetical sentence, you use the pluperfect after si, and you use
the past conditional in the result clause. This sentence is the most common use of
the past conditional. If the si clause uses the pluperfect (see Chapter 12 for more
on forming the pluperfect), then you use the past conditional in the result clause.
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Table 18-1 puts the hypothetical sentences all together.
Table 18-1
Hypothetical Sentences
Tense in the
Si Clause
If or Subordinate
Clause
Tense in the
Result Clause
Result or Main
Clause
Present
S’il pleut . . .
If it rains . . .
Present
. . . je porte un
imperméable.
. . . I wear a
raincoat.
Present
S’il pleut . . .
If it rains . . .
Simple future
. . . je porterai un
imperméable.
. . . I will wear a
raincoat.
Present
S’il pleut . . .
If it rains . . .
Immediate future
. . . je vais porter un
imperméable.
. . . I am going to
wear a raincoat.
Present
S’il pleut . . .
If it rains . . .
Imperative
. . . porte ton
imperméable.
. . . wear your
raincoat.
Imperfect
S’il pleuvait . . .
If it were to rain . . .
Present conditional
. . . je porterais un
imperméable.
. . . I would wear
my raincoat.
Pluperfect
S’il avait plu . . .
If it had rained . . .
Past conditional
. . . J’aurais porté un
imperméable.
. . . I would have
worn my raincoat.
You may begin a sentence with the result clause, followed by the subordinate or si
clause. However, you can’t switch the tenses, which means that the present (except
for the first example sentence, in which both clauses can be in the present tense), the
imperfect, and the pluperfect are always placed in the si clause and the future, conditional, and past conditional are always placed in the result clause.
Si tu avais fini tes devoirs, tu serais allé jouer. (If you had finished your homework, you would have gone to play.)
As with the other two hypothetical sentences, you may begin your sentence with the
result clause, followed by the si clause. However, you can’t switch the tenses. In other
words, you always put the pluperfect in the si clause and the past conditional in the
result clause.
Nous serions arrivés plus tôt s’il n’y avait pas eu d’embouteillages. (We would
have arrived earlier if there hadn’t been any traffic jams.)
Fill in these hypothetical sentences. Remember to place the past conditional in the
result clause.
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Q. S’il n’avait pas plu, nous _________________ (aller) à la plage.
A. S’il n’avait pas plu, nous serions allés à la plage. (If it hadn’t rained, we would have gone
to the beach.)
11. Si tu avais regardé la carte, tu _________________ (suivre) la bonne route.
12. S’il n’avait pas fait de vent, je _________________ (rester) à la plage.
13. Ils _________________ (ne pas aller) en classe, s’ils avaient su que le professeur était absent.
14. Je _________________ (se dépêcher) si j’avais été en retard.
15. Si Anne n’avait pas étudié, elle _________________ (ne pas réussir) à l’examen.
16. Est-ce que vous _________________ (être) moins fatigué si vous aviez travaillé plus près
de chez vous?
17. Nous _________________ (venir) si tu nous avais dit.
18. Si Sébastien s’était inscrit à ce cours, il _________________ (recevoir) trois unités de valeur.
19. Si tu t’étais levé tôt, tu _________________ (éviter) la circulation.
20. Les enfants _________________ (jouer) dehors s’il n’avait pas fait si froid.
I want to provide you with some more practice problems so that you have a firm
grasp on the three hypothetical sentences. In the following exercise, match the lettered logical result clause with the numbered si clause by putting the correct letter
in each blank.
Q. Si vous n’étiez pas venu
A. g. Si vous n’étiez pas venu, vous auriez manqué une bonne soirée. (If you hadn’t come,
you would have missed a good party.)
21. _____ Si tu avais pris des leçons de musique
a. je me promènerais.
22. _____ Si on veut
b. nous aurions rencontré tes parents.
23. _____ Si Audrey avait de la chance
c. ils seraient arrivés dans une
demi heure.
24. _____ S’il faisait beau
d. tu ne glisserais pas.
25. _____ Si j’ai le temps
e. tu aurais joué beaucoup mieux.
26. _____ Si nous étions venus
f. elle trouverait un appartement
pas trop cher.
27. _____ S’ils avaient pris le métro
g. vous auriez manqué une bonne
soirée.
28. _____ Si tu marchais prudemment
h. on peut.
29. _____ Si Caroline vient avec nous
i. elle s’assiéra à côté de toi.
30. _____ Si vous étiez resté chez vous
j. je viendrai avec vous.
205
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Part IV: Looking Ahead: The Future and the Conditional Tenses
What? More practice? Yes, I want to make sure that you understand this concept.
In the following sentences, all three hypothetical sentences are included. In each
sentence, one of the verbs is filled in for you. It’s up to you to fill in the second verb.
Refer to Table 18-1 and conjugate the verbs in parentheses in the required tense.
Q. J’aurais fini mes devoirs, si je _________________ (commencer) plus tôt.
A. J’aurais fini mes devoirs, si j’avais commencé plus tôt. (I would have finished my homework if I had begun earlier.)
31. Si Eric lisait le journal, il _________________ (savoir) ce qui se passait dans le monde.
32. Nous _________________ (pouvoir) voyager, si nous prenons notre retraite.
33. Si mes parents avaient habité plus près, je les _________________ (voir) plus souvent.
34. S’il faisait du vent, vous _________________ (ne pas aller) à la plage.
35. Si vous aviez été fatigués, vous _________________ (devoir) vous reposer.
36. Si tu étais malade, tu _________________ (prendre) des médicaments.
37. Les enfants _________________ (être) heureux s’ils gagnaient le match.
38. S’il avait eu des œufs, il _________________ (faire) une omelette.
39. Audrey _________________ (travailler), si elle finit ses études.
40. Si je gagnais à la loterie, je _________________ (faire) le tour du monde.
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Answer Key
This section provides the correct answers for all the problems in this chapter. Please
review and compare them to your answers.
a
Antoine aurait payé par chèque. (Antoine would have paid by check.)
b
Vous auriez préféré partir tôt. (You would have preferred to leave early.)
c
Mélanie et Alexandre se seraient souvenus de leur jeunesse. (Mélanie and Alexandre would
have remembered their youth.)
d
Tu serais resté toute la journée. (You would have stayed the whole day.)
e
Sarah aurait pu te présenter à ses amis. (Sarah could have introduced you to her friends.)
f
J’aurais appris le russe. (I would have learned Russian.)
g
Étienne aurait reçu la médaille. (Étienne would have won the medal.)
h
Nous nous serions vus. (We would have seen each other.)
i
Les parents de Sophie auraient été déçus. (Sophie’s parents would have been disappointed.)
j
Aurore aurait aimé les rencontrer au café. (Aurore would have liked to meet them at the café.)
k
Si tu avais regardé la carte, tu aurais suivi la bonne route. (If you had looked at the map, you
would have followed the right route.)
l
S’il n’avait pas fait de vent, je serais resté à la plage. (If it had not been windy, I would have
stayed at the beach.)
m
Ils ne seraient pas allés en classe, s’ils avaient su que le professeur était absent. (They would
not have gone to class if they had known that the professor was absent.)
n
Je me serais dépêché si j’avais été en retard. (I would have hurried if I had been late.)
o
Si Anne n’avait pas étudié, elle n’aurait pas réussi à l’examen. (If Anne had not studied, she
would not have passed the exam.)
p
Est-ce que vous auriez été moins fatigué si vous aviez travaillé plus près de chez vous?
(Would you have been less tired if you had worked closer to home?)
q
Nous serions venus si tu nous avais dit. (We would have come if you had told us.)
r
Si Sébastien s’était inscrit à ce cours, il aurait reçu trois unités de valeur. (If Sébastien had
registered for this course, he would have received three credits.)
s
Si tu t’étais levé tôt, tu aurais évité la circulation. (If you had gotten up early, you would have
avoided the traffic.)
t
Les enfants auraient joué dehors s’il n’avait pas fait si froid. (The children would have played
outside if it hadn’t been so cold.)
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u
e. Si tu avais pris des leçons de musique, tu aurais joué beaucoup mieux. (If you had taken
music lessons, you would have played much better.)
v
h. Si on veut, on peut. (If one wants, one can.)
w
f. Si Audrey avait de la chance, elle trouverait un appartement pas trop cher. (If Audrey were
lucky, she would find an apartment that’s not too expensive.)
x
a. S’il faisait beau, je me promènerais. (If it were nice out, I would take a walk.)
y
j. Si j’ai le temps, je viendrai avec vous. (If I have time, I will come with you.)
A
b. Si nous étions venus, nous aurions rencontré tes parents. (If we had come, we would have
met your parents.)
B
c. S’ils avaient pris le métro, ils seraient arrivés dans une demi heure. (If they had taken the
subway, they would have arrived in a half an hour.)
C
d. Si tu marchais prudemment, tu ne glisserais pas. (If you were to walk carefully, you would
not slip.)
D
i. Si Caroline vient avec nous, elle s’assiéra à côté de toi. (If Caroline comes with us, she will sit
next to you.)
E
g. Si vous étiez resté chez vous, vous auriez manqué une bonne soirée. (If you had stayed home,
you would have missed a good party.)
F
Si Eric lisait le journal, il saurait ce qui se passait dans le monde. (If Eric were to read the newspaper, he would know what was happening in the world.)
G
Nous pourrons voyager, si nous prenons notre retraite. (We will be able to travel if we take our
retirement.)
H
Si mes parents avaient habité plus près, je les aurais vus plus souvent. (If my parents had lived
closer, I would have seen them more often.)
I
S’il faisait du vent, vous n’iriez pas à la plage. (If it were windy, you would not go to the beach.)
J
Si vous aviez été fatigués, vous auriez dû vous reposer. (If you had been tired, you should have
rested.)
K
Si tu étais malade, tu prendrais des médicaments. (If you were ill, you would take some
medication.)
L
Les enfants seraient heureux s’ils gagnaient le match. (The children would be happy if they
were to win the game.)
M
S’il avait eu des œufs, il aurait fait une omelette. (If he had had eggs, he would have made an
omelette.)
N
Audrey travaillera, si elle finit ses études. (Audrey will work if she finishes her studies.)
O
Si je gagnais la loterie, je ferais le tour du monde. (If I were to win the lottery, I would travel all
over the world.)
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Part V
Considering Your Mood:
Subjunctive or Not
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T
In this part . . .
he mood of a verb indicates the writer or speaker’s
point of view regarding the events. The indicative —
including the present, past, and future — expresses facts
as well as objective observations. It expresses what is
happening, has happened, or will happen. Meanwhile the
subjunctive mood expresses what you want to happen,
command to happen, or doubt will happen. Chapter 19
looks at conjugating the present subjunctive, Chapter 20
focuses on using the present subjunctive, and Chapter 21
shows you how to conjugate and use the past subjunctive.
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Chapter 19
Creating the Present Subjunctive
In This Chapter
Working with regular verbs
Forming the subjunctive with “irregular” verbs
Taking a stab with stem changers
Trying out true irregular verbs
U
nlike the indicative mood, which expresses an objective reality, the subjunctive mood
expresses the speaker’s or writer’s subjective points of view, emotions, fears, and
doubts. To use the subjunctive, you place it in the subordinate clause introduced by que
(that) when a verb or verbal expression in the main clause expresses emotion, will, wish,
command, doubt, or subjectivity. When the verb in the main clause expresses a fact or an
objective observation, then you use the indicative instead of the subjunctive.
This chapter looks at how you conjugate good ol’ regular verbs, verbs that are irregular in
other tenses but regular in the subjunctive, stem-changing verbs, and true irregular verbs.
After you know how to form the present subjunctive, you can check out Chapter 20, which
shows you how to use the present subjunctive. Because French doesn’t have a future subjunctive, the present subjunctive expresses the future as well as the present and can be
translated in English in the tense that makes the most sense.
Forming the Present Subjunctive
with Regular Verbs
The subjunctive isn’t a difficult tense to form. All you need is to be familiar with the present
indicative conjugation of the verbs be they regular verbs, spelling-change verbs, or even
some irregular verbs. (Check out Chapters 2, 3, and 4 for the present indicative of verbs.)
In this section, I start off with forming the present subjunctive of regular verbs.
You form the present subjunctive the same way, whether the verb is regular or not and
whether it has a stem change or not. To form the present subjunctive, start from the third
person plural of the indicative, the ils/elles form, drop the -ent to form the stem, and add
the following endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, or -ent.
Present Subjunctive Verb Endings
je -e
nous -ions
tu -es
vous -iez
il/elle/on -e
ils/elles -ent
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Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not
The verbs parler (to speak), finir (to finish), and vendre (to sell) serve as examples of
the three categories of regular verbs. You create the stem for each with the ils/elles
form of the indicative, like so:
Parler (to speak) becomes ils/elles parlent in the third person plural indicative.
Delete the -ent from this form to create the stem, and you get parl-.
Finir (to finish) becomes ils/elles finissent in the third person plural indicative.
Delete the -ent from this form to create the stem, and you get finiss-.
Vendre (to sell) becomes ils/elles vendent in the third person plural indicative.
Delete the -ent from this form to create the stem, and you get vend-.
parler (to speak)
que je parle
que nous parlions
que tu parles
que vous parliez
qu’il/elle/on parle
qu’ils/elles parlent
Il est essentiel que nous parlions au directeur. (It is essential that we speak to the director.)
finir (to finish)
que je finisse
que nous finissions
que tu finisses
que vous finissiez
qu’il/elle/on finisse
qui’ils/elles finissent
Il est possible que je finisse à 5 heures. (It’s possible that I will finish at 5 o’clock.)
vendre (to sell)
que je vende
que nous vendions
que tu vendes
que vous vendiez
qu’il/elle/on vende
qu’ils/elles vendent
Mes parents veulent que je vende ma voiture. (My parents want me to sell my car.)
Il doute que je nous arrivions avant midi. (He doubts that we will arrive before
noon.)
Nous sommes surpris que tu vendes ta maison. (We are surprised that you are selling
your house.)
As strange as it looks and sounds, you do add the extra -i to regular verbs whose
nous form already ends in -ions and vous form already ends in -iez in the present
indicative. These verbs include étudier (to study), rire (to laugh), and sourire (to
smile). I conjugate étudier in the following table. The stem (from ils étudient, the
third person plural indicative) is étudi-.
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Chapter 19: Creating the Present Subjunctive
étudier (to study)
que j’étudie
que nous étudiions
que tu étudies
que vous étudiiez
qu’il/elle/on étudie
qu’ils/elles étudient
Il est important que nous étudiions. (It is important that we study.)
Now take time to conjugate the following regular verbs into the present subjunctive.
Q. Il faut que nous _________________ (regarder) les nouvelles.
A. Il faut que nous regardions les nouvelles. (It is necessary that we watch the news.)
1. Mon professeur exige que je _________________ (choisir) un sujet de thèse.
2. Je suis ravi que tu _________________ (aimer) mon cadeau.
3. Nous sommes heureux qu’ils _________________ (réussir) à l’école.
4. Il est regrettable que nous _________________ (ne pas habiter) plus près de la ville.
5. Il faut qu’elle _________________ (rendre) les CD.
6. Ils sont surpris que je _________________ (chanter) bien.
7. Il est étonnant que les enfants _________________ (grandir) si vite.
8. Tu ne crois pas que le train _________________ (arriver) à l’heure?
9. Maman veut que nous _________________ (obéir) à nos grands-parents.
10. Il est dommage que tu _________________ (perdre) patience.
Typically Irregular, but Regular
in the Subjunctive
Most irregular verbs follow the same pattern in the subjunctive as the regular verbs.
You simply take their third person plural form (ils/elles) and add the same endings:
-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, and -ent.
Check out Table 19-1 as an example of several irregular verbs that follow the regular
conjugation in the present subjunctive.
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Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not
Table 19-1
Typically Irregular Verbs but Regular
in the Subjunctive
Infinitive
Ils Form in the Present Indicative
Subjunctive Stem
conduire (to drive)
ils conduisent
conduis-
connaître (to know)
ils connaissent
connaiss-
craindre (to fear)
ils craignent
craign-
dire (to say)
ils disent
dis-
dormir (to sleep)
ils dorment
dorm-
écrire (to write)
ils écrivent
écriv-
lire (to read)
ils lisent
lis-
mettre (to put, to place)
ils mettent
mett
offrir (to offer)
ils offrent
offr-
partir (to leave)
ils partent
part-
servir (to serve)
ils servent
serv-
sortir (to go out)
ils sortent
sort-
suivre (to follow, to
take a course)
ils suivent
suiv-
vivre (to live)
ils vivent
viv-
Il est important que les enfants lisent tous les jours. (It is important that children
read every day.)
Conjugate the following verbs in parentheses in the present subjunctive.
Q. Je doute qu’elle _________________ (dire) des mensonges.
A. Je doute qu’elle dise des mensonges. (I doubt that she’s telling lies.)
11. Mes parents sont inquiets que je _________________ (craindre) les ascenseurs.
12. Eric est fâché que ses amis _________________ (partir) en vacances sans lui.
13. Il est important que nous _________________ (vivre) en paix.
14. Je veux que tu _________________ (mettre) ta ceinture de sécurité.
15. Il est nécessaire que tous les étudiants _________________ (suivre) cinq cours par
semestre.
16. Il est essentiel que nous _________________ (dormir) bien.
17. Croyez-vous que ce journaliste _________________ (écrire) bien?
18. Il est douteux qu’ils _________________ (servir) du vin.
19. Je suis surpris que vous _________________ (connaître) mon oncle.
20. Papa n’aime pas que nous _________________ (sortir) si tard.
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Looking At Stem Changers
Certain verbs in French have one stem for all the singular and third person plural subjects and another stem for the nous and vous forms. These verbs are often referred to
as boot verbs because when you draw around the subject pronouns, the singular and
third person plural form the shape of a boot, whereas the nous and vous forms are
left outside of the boot. Remember that these verbs have the same stem changes in
the present indicative as well as the present subjunctive.
Certain verbs have two different stems: one for the singular (je, tu, il/elle/on) and
third person plural (ils/elles) and another for the nous and vous forms. The stem of
the subjunctive form of these verbs is also derived from the third person plural ils/
elles, and the endings are the same as the regular verbs in the subjunctive (see
“Forming the Present Subjunctive with Regular Verbs” earlier in this chapter). The
way to remember these verbs is to refer to their present indicative, where they also
have this type of stem difference.
Check out the following examples that conjugate boire (to drink) in both the present
indicative and the present subjunctive so that you can compare them.
boire (to drink) in the present indicative
je bois
nous buvons
tu bois
vous buvez
il/elle/on boit
ils/elles boivent
Nous buvons beaucoup de lait. (We drink a lot of milk.)
boire (to drink) in the present subjunctive
que je boive
que nous buvions
que tu boives
que vous buviez
qu’il/elle/on boive
qu’ils/elles boivent
Il est bon que nous buvions beaucoup de lait. (It is good that we drink a lot of milk.)
The following verbs also have two stems, just like boire. Prendre (to take) (and all its
compounds) forms its stem from the present indicative of the ils form, ils prennent.
Delete the -ent and use prenn- as the stem for the je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles forms.
Use pren- for nous and vous.
prendre (to take)
que je prenne
que nous prenions
que tu prennes
que vous preniez
qu’il/elle/on prenne
qu’ils/elles prennent
Il est nécessaire que tu prennes ton passeport. (It is necessary that you take your passport.)
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You conjugate the following verbs just like prendre: apprendre (to learn), comprendre (to understand), entreprendre (to undertake), reprendre (to retake, to resume),
and surprendre (to surprise).
Another verb that has a stem change in the present subjunctive is venir (to come).
I conjugate it in the following example, using the stem vienn- from ils viennent, the
present indicative, for the je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles forms. Use ven- for nous and
vous.
venir (to come)
que je vienne
que nous venions
que tu viennes
que vous veniez
qu’il/elle/on vienne
qu’ils/elles viennent
Nous sommes heureux que vous veniez. (We are happy that you’re coming.)
All compounds of venir are conjugated the same way. These include devenir (to
become), intervenir (to intervene), parvenir (to reach, to succeed), revenir (to return),
and se souvenir (to remember). Also, you conjugate similar verbs, like tenir (to hold)
and its compounds, the same way. These include appartenir (to belong), contenir (to
contain), maintenir (to maintain), obtenir (to obtain), retenir (to retain), and soutenir
(to support).
Recevoir (to receive) is another verb that has a stem change in the present subjunctive.
Its stems include reçoiv- for the je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles forms and recev- for
nous and vous.
recevoir (to receive)
que je reçoive
que nous recevions
que tu reçoives
que vous receviez
qu’il/elle/on reçoive
qu’ils/elles reçoivent
Il est possible qu’ils reçoivent la coupe. (It is possible that they receive the cup.)
Verbs that are conjugated like recevoir include apercevoir (to see, to notice), concevoir
(to conceive), décevoir (to disappoint), and percevoir (to perceive, to comprehend).
Another verb that has a stem change in the present subjunctive is croire (to believe).
Check out the following example that conjugates it. Remember that the stem for je,
tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles forms is croi- and for the nous and vous forms croy-.
croire (to believe)
que je croie
que nous croyions
que tu croies
que vous croyiez
qu’il/elle/on croie
qu’ils/elles croient
Je doute qu’elle croie tout ce qu’il dit. (I doubt that she believes all he says.)
Voir (to see) is conjugated like croire.
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Chapter 19: Creating the Present Subjunctive
Another verb that has a stem change in the present subjunctive is devoir (to owe, to
have to). Check out the following example to conjugate it. Stems of this verb are doivfor the je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles forms and dev- for nous and vous.
devoir (ought to, must, to owe)
que je doive
que nous devions
que tu doives
que vous deviez
qu’il/elle/on doive
qu’ils/elles doivent
Je ne crois pas que tu doives payer maintenant. (I don’t believe that you have to pay now.)
All verbs ending in -yer are two-stem verbs as well. Like all the verbs that I’ve mentioned in this section thus far, the subjunctive tense is derived from the ils form of the
present indicative. However, with the two-stem verbs, the nous and vous forms have
a different stem. The verb essayer (to try) serves as an example. The stems for this
verb are as follows: essai- for the je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles forms and essay- for
nous and vous.
essayer (to try)
que j’essaie
que nous essayions
que tu essaies
que vous essayiez
qu’il/elle/on essaie
qu’ils/elles essaient
Je veux que tu essaies de venir. (I want you to try to come.)
Try conjugating some of these verbs. Follow the example and put the infinitives in the
third person plural indicative (ils/elles) and then in the subjunctive of the indicated
subject pronouns.
Q. Infinitive: vivre
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: que tu _________________, que vous _________________
A. ils vivent, que tu vives, que vous viviez
21. Infinitive: apercevoir
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: que je _________________, qu’ils _________________
22. Infinitive: nettoyer
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: qu’il _________________, que nous _________________
217
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Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not
23. Infinitive: venir
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: que tu _________________, qu’elle _________________
24. Infinitive: prendre
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: qu’il _________________, que vous _________________
25. Infinitive: se souvenir
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: que je _________________, que nous _________________
26. Infinitive: essayer
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: que tu _________________, que nous _________________
27. Infinitive: boire
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: qu’elle _________________, que vous _________________
28. Infinitive: voir
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: que je _________________, qu’elles _________________
29. Infinitive: apprendre
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: qu’il _________________, que nous _________________
30. Infinitive: devoir
Present indicative: ils _________________
Present subjunctive: que je _________________, que vous _________________
Eyeing the Irregulars
Some verbs are completely irregular in the present subjunctive. The stem of the subjunctive isn’t derived from the third person plural (ils/elles) the way the rest of the verbs’
stems are. However, even these irregular verbs have the same endings in the subjunctive as the regular verbs: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, and -ent. Check out the following verbs:
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Chapter 19: Creating the Present Subjunctive
aller (to go)
que j’aille
que nous allions
que tu ailles
que vous alliez
qu’il/elle/on aille
qu’ils/elles aillent
Il faut que j’aille au magasin. (I have to go to the store.)
faire (to do, to make)
que je fasse
que nous fassions
que tu fasses
que vous fassiez
qu’il/elle/on fasse
qu’ils/elles fassent
Je préfère que tu fasses la vaisselle. (I prefer that you do the dishes.)
pouvoir (to be able to)
que je puisse
que nous puissions
que tu puisses
que vous puissiez
qu’il/elle/on puisse
qu’ils/elles puissent
Nous sommes contents qu’ils puissent venir. (We are happy that they can come.)
savoir (to know)
que je sache
que nous sachions
que tu saches
que vous sachiez
qu’il/elle/on sache
qu’ils/elles sachent
Il est important que tu saches conduire. (It’s important that you know how to drive.)
vouloir (to want)
que je veuille
que nous voulions
que tu veuilles
que vous vouliez
qu’il/elle/on veuille
qu’ils/elles veuillent
C’est impressionnant qu’elle veuille piloter un avion.
(It is impressive that she wants to pilot a plane.)
French has only two irregular verbs that don’t have the same endings in the subjunctive as all other verbs. Can you guess which ones? Yes, you’re right if you guessed
avoir (to have) and être (to be).
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Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not
avoir (to have)
que j’aie
que nous ayons
que tu aies
que vous ayez
qu’il/elle/on ait
qu’ils/elles aient
Il est nécessaire que nous ayons de la patience. (It is necessary that we have patience.)
être (to be)
que je sois
que nous soyons
que tu sois
que vous soyez
qu’il/elle/on soit
qu’ils/elles soient
Les parents veulent que leurs enfants soient sages.
(The parents want their children to behave.)
The following two verbs exist only in the third person singular, the il form: pleuvoir
(to rain) and falloir (to be necessary).
qu’il pleuve (that it rains/will rain)
qu’il faille (that it is/will be necessary)
Follow the example and put the infinitives of the irregular verbs in parentheses in the
subjunctive of the indicated subject pronoun.
Q. Faire: que tu _________________, qu’ils _________________
A. que tu fasses, qu’ils fassent
31. Pouvoir: que je _________________, que nous _________________
32. Être: qu’elle _________________, que vous _________________
33. Vouloir: que tu _________________, qu’elles _________________
34. Savoir: qu’on _________________, que nous _________________
35. Avoir: que j’_________________, que vous _________________
36. Faire: qu’il _________________, que nous _________________
37. Pouvoir: que tu _________________, qu’ils _________________
38. Être: que je _________________, qu’elles _________________
39. Vouloir: que je _________________, que nous _________________
40. Faire: que tu _________________, qu’elles _________________
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Chapter 19: Creating the Present Subjunctive
Answer Key
This section contains the answers to the exercises that you encounter in this chapter.
Review your answers and compare them to the correct ones. Keep in mind that the
present subjunctive can also express the future as well as the present because there
is no future subjunctive.
a
Mon professeur exige que je choisisse un sujet de thèse. (My professor requires that I choose a
thesis topic.)
b
Je suis ravi que tu aimes mon cadeau. (I am delighted that you like my gift.)
c
Nous sommes heureux qu’ils réussissent à l’école. (We are happy that they succeed/are
succeeding in school.)
d
Il est regrettable que nous n’habitions pas plus près de la ville. (It is regrettable that we don’t
live closer to the city.)
e
Il faut qu’elle rende les CD. (It is necessary that she give back the CDs.)
f
Ils sont surpris que je chante bien. (They are surprised that I sing well.)
g
Il est étonnant que les enfants grandissent si vite. (It is surprising that the children grow up
so fast.)
h
Tu ne crois pas que le train arrive à l’heure? (You don’t believe that the train is arriving on time?)
i
Maman veut que nous obéissions à nos grands-parents. (Mom wants us to obey our
grandparents.)
j
Il est dommage que tu perdes patience. (It is too bad that you lose/are losing patience.)
k
Mes parents sont inquiets que je craigne les ascenseurs. (My parents are worried that I fear
elevators.)
l
Eric est fâché que ses amis partent en vacances sans lui. (Eric is angry that his friends are leaving for vacation without him.)
m
Il est important que nous vivions en paix. (It is important that we live in peace.)
n
Je veux que tu mettes ta ceinture de sécurité. (I want you to put on your seat belt.)
o
Il est nécessaire que tous les étudiants suivent cinq cours par semestre. (It is necessary that
all the students take five courses a semester.)
p
Il est essentiel que nous dormions bien. (It is essential that we sleep well.)
q
Croyez-vous que ce journaliste écrive bien? (Do you believe that this journalist writes well?)
r
Il est douteux qu’ils servent du vin. (It is doubtful that they serve/will serve wine.)
s
Je suis surpris que vous connaissiez mon oncle. (I am surprised that you know my uncle.)
t
Papa n’aime pas que nous sortions si tard. (Dad doesn’t like that we go out so late.)
u
Present indicative: ils aperçoivent
Present subjunctive: que j’aperçoive, qu’ils aperçoivent
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Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not
v
Present indicative: ils nettoient
Present subjunctive: qu’il nettoie, que nous nettoyions
w
Present indicative: ils viennent
Present subjunctive: que tu viennes, qu’elle vienne
x
Present indicative: ils prennent
Present subjunctive: qu’il prenne, que vous preniez
y
Present indicative: ils se souviennent
Present subjunctive: que je me souvienne, que nous nous souvenions
A
Present indicative: ils essaient
Present subjunctive: que tu essaies, que nous essayions
B
Present indicative: ils boivent
Present subjunctive: qu’elle boive, que vous buviez
C
Present indicative: ils voient
Present subjunctive: que je voie, qu’elles voient
D
Present indicative: ils apprennent
Present subjunctive: qu’il apprenne, que nous apprenions
E
Present indicative: ils doivent
Present subjunctive: que je doive, que vous deviez
F
que je puisse, que nous puissions
G
qu’elle soit, que vous soyez
H
que tu veuilles, qu’elles veuillent
I
qu’on sache, que nous sachions
J
que j’aie, que vous ayez
K
qu’il fasse, que nous fassions
L
que tu puisses, qu’ils puissent
M
que je sois, qu’elles soient
N
que je veuille, que nous voulions
O
que tu fasses, qu’elles fassent
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Chapter 20
Knowing How to Use the
Present Subjunctive
In This Chapter
Expressing wishes and preferences
Showing emotion or judgment
Doubting and being subjective
Adding idiomatic expressions to your conversation
I
n Chapter 19, I show you how to form the present subjunctive. In this chapter, I show you
how to use it. The subjunctive is used much more often in French than in English. In fact,
English has retained very little of its subjunctive tense. You can find it in such sentences as
They ask that she drive carefully or I request that you be on time. But enough about English.
You already know how to speak it, right?
You use the present subjunctive in the subordinate clause when three key criteria are present in a sentence. If you’re missing any of these elements, then don’t use the subjunctive.
The three criteria are
Two clauses linked by que (that).
Two different subjects for each of the two clauses. (If the subject of both clauses is the
same, then you use the infinitive.)
A verb, verbal expression, or impersonal expression in the main clause that’s in the
indicative and expresses doubt, subjectivity, emotion, volition, or command.
If any of these elements is missing, then you need to use either the infinitive or the
indicative instead of the subjunctive.
Except for some idiomatic expressions, you never use the subjunctive by itself. In other
words, you can’t start a sentence in the subjunctive. Because no future subjunctive exists,
you use the present subjunctive to express an action in the subordinate clause that takes
place after an action in the main clause. Also, the present subjunctive is used when the verb
in the subordinate clause is simultaneous to — meaning it happens at the same time as —
the verb in the main clause.
You may be asking yourself how you know whether a certain verb or verbal expression in
the main clause requires the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. This chapter looks more
closely at that issue so that you’ll be confident every time you have to make that choice.
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Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not
Expressing Wish, Will, Preference,
and Command
In order to guide you in using the subjunctive correctly, I separate the verbs and
verbal expressions that require the use of the subjunctive into different categories.
You use the subjunctive in the subordinate clause when the verb or verbal expression
in the main clause expresses wish, will, preference and command. Table 20-1 lists
verbs that express just that.
Table 20-1
Verbs That Express Wish, Will, Preference, and Command
French Phrase
English Translation
accepter que
to accept that
admettre que
to admit that
adorer que
to love that, to adore that
aimer (mieux) que
to like that, to prefer that
apprécier que
to appreciate that
s’attendre à ce que
to expect that
commander que
to order that, to command that
demander que
to ask that
désirer que
to desire that, to wish that
détester que
to hate that
empêcher que
to prevent that
éxiger que
to demand that, to require that
interdire que
to forbid that
s’opposer à ce que
to oppose that
ordonner que
to order that
permettre que
to allow that
préférer que
to prefer that
proposer que
to propose that
recommander que
to recommend that
refuser que
to refuse that
regretter que
to regret that
souhaiter que
to wish that
suggérer que
to suggest that
tenir à ce que
to insist that
vouloir (bien) que
to want/would like that
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Chapter 20: Knowing How to Use the Present Subjunctive
Je veux que tu sois gentil. (I want you to be nice; Literally: I want that you be nice.)
Put the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. Notice that the clauses have different
subjects.
Q. Le juge recommande que l’accusé _________________ (dire) la vérité.
A. Le juge recommande que l’accusé dise la vérité. (The judge recommends that the defendant
tell the truth.)
1. Les professeurs proposent que nous _________________ (lire) attentivement.
2. Tu tiens à ce que je _________________ (venir) avec toi.
3. Le pilote ordonne que nous _________________ (attacher) notre ceinture de sécurité.
4. Le médecin n’aime pas que ses patients _________________ (toucher) l’équipement
médical.
5. La loi empêche que l’on _________________ (jeter) les ordures dans la rue.
6. J’apprécie que tu me _________________ (comprendre).
7. Alexandre préfère que nous _________________ (voyager) ensemble.
8. Mes parents refusent que je _________________ (prendre) la voiture.
9. Céline propose qu’on _________________ (aller) au cinéma.
10. Nous souhaitons que nos amis _________________ (avoir) de bonnes notes.
Showing Emotion or Judgment
Another important category of verbs and verbal expressions is the one that expresses
emotion as well as judgment. Take a look at Table 20-2 for a list of these verbs and
verbal expressions.
Table 20-2
Phrases That Show Emotion or Judgment
French Phrase
English Translation
avoir honte que
to be ashamed that
avoir peur que
to be afraid that
craindre que
to fear that
déplorer que
to deplore that
être choqué que
to be shocked that
être content que
to be happy/content that
(continued)
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Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not
Table 20-2 (continued)
French Phrase
English Translation
être déçu que
to be disappointed that
être désolé que
to be sorry that
être embarrassé que
to be embarrassed that
être ému que
to be moved that
être enchanté que
to be enchanted that
être étonné que
to be surprised that
être fâché que
to be angry that
être fier que
to be proud that
être furieux que
to be furious that
être gêné que
to be bothered/embarrassed that
être heureux que
to be happy that
être horrifié que
to be horrified that
être inquiet que
to be worried that
être malheureux que
to be unhappy that
être mécontent que
to be unhappy that
être navré que
to be very sorry that
être ravi que
to be delighted that
être stupéfait que
to be astonished that
être surpris que
to be surprised that
être triste que
to be sad that
se réjouir que
to be delighted that
Nous sommes heureux que vous veniez nous voir. (We are happy that you’re
coming to see us.)
Put the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. Notice that the clauses have different
subjects.
Q. Il est mécontent que ses amis _________________ (aller) au cinéma sans lui.
A. Il est mécontent que ses amis aillent au cinéma sans lui. (He is unhappy that his friends
go/will go to the movies without him.)
11. Je suis ravi que vous _________________ (pouvoir) venir.
12. Nous sommes surpris que tu _________________ (ne pas avoir) d’argent.
13. Le professeur est furieux que les étudiants _________________ (ne pas faire) attention.
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Chapter 20: Knowing How to Use the Present Subjunctive
14. Mme Castel est triste que son fils _________________ (vivre) dans un tel état.
15. Les enfants sont déçus qu’il _________________ (pleuvoir).
Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty
You also use the subjunctive when the verbs or verbal expressions in the main clause
express doubt or uncertainty. However when the element of doubt or uncertainty no
longer exists, then you use the indicative. Check out Table 20-3.
You use the verbs in Table 20-3 a bit differently than the ones in the previous two sections. The difference lies in the way you’re using the verb: positively, negatively, or
interrogatively. When you use the following verbs or expressions interrogatively or
negatively in the main clause, you follow them with the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. When you use them affirmatively, you follow them with the indicative.
Croyez-vous qu’elle dise la vérité? (Subjunctive) (Do you believe that she’s telling
the truth?)
Vous ne croyez pas qu’elle dise la vérité. (Subjunctive) (You don’t believe that
she’s telling the truth.)
Vous croyez qu’elle dit la vérité. (Indicative) (You believe that she’s telling the truth.)
Table 20-3
Phrases That Express Doubt or Uncertainty
Affirmative (Indicative)
Interrogative (Subjunctive)
Negative (Subjunctive)
croire que (to believe that)
Croire que?
ne pas croire que
trouver que (to find that)
Trouver que?
ne pas trouver que
penser que (to think that)
Penser que?
ne pas penser que
être sûr que (to be sure that)
Être sûr que?
ne pas être sûr que
être certain que (to be
certain that)
Être certain que?
ne pas être certain que
il est vrai que (it is
true that)
Est-il vrai que?
Il n’est pas vrai que
il est clair que (it is
clear that)
Est-il clair que?
Il n’est pas clair que
il est probable que (it is
probable that)
Est-il probable que?
Il n’est pas probable que
il est évident que (it is
evident that)
Est-il évident que?
Il n’est pas évident que
The verb douter que (to doubt that) and the expression il est douteux que (it is doubtful that) follow a different pattern than the verbs and phrases in Table 20-3. You use
the subjunctive in the subordinate clause when this verb and expression are used in
the affirmative or in the interrogative because they imply doubt. However, in the negative, the element of doubt no longer exists and you use the indicative.
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Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not
Tu doutes qu’il soit malade. (Subjunctive) (You doubt that he’s ill.)
Now it’s your turn. Choose between the present indicative and the subjunctive of the
verbs in parentheses. Refer to the list of verbs and verbal expressions in Table 20-3 as
a guide.
Q. Il est vrai que nous _________________ (vouloir) voyager.
A. Il est vrai que nous voulons voyager. (It’s true that we want to travel.)
16. Êtes-vous sûr qu’il _________________ (ne pas suivre) de cours?
17. Ne trouves-tu pas qu’il _________________ (faire) froid?
18. Il est évident que tu _________________ (savoir) parler français.
19. Je ne doute pas que mon équipe favori _________________ (aller) gagner.
20. Il n’est pas clair que les droits humains _________________ (être) respectés.
Showing Opinion, Necessity, and Possibility
The subjunctive is a mood of subjectivity. As such, any expression that expresses an
opinion will be followed by the subjunctive. Expressions of necessity like il faut que
(it is necessary that) as well as possibility like il est possible que (it is possible that)
are also followed by the subjunctive. Table 20-4 lists these expressions.
Table 20-4
Phrases That Show Opinion, Necessity, and Possibility
French Phrase
English Translation
il est absurde que
it is absurd that
il est bizarre que
it is strange/bizarre that
il est bon que
it is good that
il est curieux que
it is curious that
il est essentiel que
it is essential that
il est étonnant que
it is surprising that
il est étrange que
it is strange that
il est important que
it is important that
il est impossible que
it is impossible that
il est indispensable que
it is indispensable that
il est injuste que
it is unjust that
il est inutile que
it is useless that
il est juste que
it is just that
il est naturel que
it is natural that
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Chapter 20: Knowing How to Use the Present Subjunctive
French Phrase
English Translation
il est nécessaire que
it is necessary that
il est normal que
it is normal that
il est possible que
it is possible that
il est regrettable que
it is regrettable that
il est ridicule que
it is ridiculous that
il est souhaitable que
it is preferable/desirable that
il est surprenant que
it is surprising that
il est utile que
it is useful that
il est dommage que
it is too bad that
il faut que
it is necessary that
il se peut que
it may be that
il vaut mieux que
it is better that
In all the expressions in Table 20-4, you can replace the il est (it is) with c’est (it is),
except for the last three: il faut que, il se peut que, and il vaut mieux que.
Il se peut qu’il pleuve demain. (It may be that it will rain tomorrow.)
Put the verb in parentheses in the present subjunctive.
Q. C’est utile que tu _________________ (s’y connaître) en informatique.
A. C’est utile que tu t’y connaisses en informatique. (It is useful that you know about computers.)
21. Il vaut mieux que nous _________________ (aller) nous coucher tôt ce soir.
22. Il est possible que mes beaux-parents _________________ (prendre) leur retraite.
23. Il est nécessaire qu’Anne _________________ (décrire) ses expériences.
24. C’est souhaitable que nous _________________ (éviter) la circulation.
25. Il faut que je _________________ (s’en aller).
Expressing Condition, Time, Concession,
and Consequence
You also use the subjunctive after certain conjunctions, mainly the ones that express
a condition or a concession. These conjunctions require the same criteria as the
verbs or verbal expressions I mention in the previous sections. First, the subject in
the main clause must be different from the subject of the subordinate clause. If the
subject is the same, then use a preposition followed by the infinitive form of the verb.
Second, these conjunctions must be followed by que (that).
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Part V: Considering Your Mood: Subjunctive or Not
The conjunctions listed in Table 20-5 connect two clauses. You use the subjunctive in
the subordinate clause when the sentence has two different subjects. If the sentence
has only one subject, these conjunctions become prepositions followed with an infinitive. Note that in such cases the que (that) is dropped, and most of the prepositions
require de to introduce the infinitive.
Note: The translations in Table 20-5 apply to both the two subject clauses and single
subject clauses.
Table 20-5
Using Subjunctive: Conjunctions or Prepositions?
Two Subject Clauses
Single Subject Clauses
Translation
à condition que
à condition de
provided that
*à moins que
à moins de
unless
afin que
afin de
so that, in order that (to)
*avant que
avant de
before
*de crainte que
de crainte de
for fear (that)
*de peur que
de peur de
for fear (that)
en attendant que
en attendant de
while, until
pour que
pour
so that, in order that (to)
sans que
sans
without
*See the following paragraph for more information on these conjunctions.
The conjunctions in Table 20-5 that have the asterisk before them can take the expletive ne before the subjunctive. And I know I said that ne is an expletive, but it’s not a
dirty word! In grammar, an expletive is a nonessential word or phrase that you don’t
need in the sentence in order to understand it. The expletive ne has no meaning, and
you don’t have to use it, but I highly recommend it because it’s commonly used before
the subjunctive after certain conjunctions even in casual conversations. Most importantly, you need to know that it doesn’t make the verb negative. In order to make a
verb negative, you put the ne before the conjugated verb and the pas or another negative expression after the verb.
Dépêchons-nous avant qu’il (ne) pleuve. (Let’s hurry up before it rains.)
Il étudie beaucoup de crainte que l’examen (ne) soit trop difficile. (He’s studying
a lot for fear that the exam is too difficult.)
Note that you must always follow the conjunctions in Table 20-6 with a verb in the
subjunctive, even when the clause has no change of subject. These conjunctions can
never be prepositions.
Table 20-6
Conjunctions That Must Always Be Followed
by the Subjunctive
Conjunction
English Translation
bien que
although
jusqu’à ce que
until
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Chapter 20: Knowing How to Use the Present Subjunctive
Conjunction
English Translation
pourvu que
provided that
quoique
although
quoi que
whatever, no matter what
Il jouera au match pourvu qu’il se sente bien. (He will play in the game provided
that he feels well.)
Link these two clauses together by using a conjunction followed by the subjunctive or
a preposition followed by the infinitive. Remember, the choice depends on the subject. If the sentence has one subject (the subjects in the two clauses are the same),
use the preposition followed by an infinitive to link the sentences. If the sentence has
two subjects (the subjects are different in each clause), use a conjunction followed by
a verb in the subjunctive.
Q. Ils font des économies. (afin que/afin de) Ils peuvent aller en vacances.
A. Ils font des économies afin de pouvoir aller en vacances. (They are saving money in
order to be able to go on vacation.)
26. Je te dis cela. (pour que/pour) Tu le sais.
__________________________________________________________________________________
37. Nous ferons nos bagages. (avant que/avant de) Nous partons.
__________________________________________________________________________________
38. Viens chez moi. (à moins que/à moins de) Tu as d’autres choses à faire.
__________________________________________________________________________________
29. Le cambrioleur s’échappe. (de crainte que/de crainte de) La police vient.
__________________________________________________________________________________
30. Mélanie va voyager. (à condition que/à condition de) Elle a de l’argent.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Considering Indefinite, Doubtful,
and Subjective Antecedents
An antecedent can be a noun, a pronoun, a concept, or a clause that comes before a
relative pronoun and to which the relative pronoun refers. If you have a subordinate
clause that refers to a concept (or antecedent) in the main clause, you may need
to use the subjunctive. If the concept in the main clause is doubtful, indefinite, or
subjective, you put the verb in the subordinate clause in the subjunctive. You also
use the subjunctive after expressions such as le seul (the only), l’unique (the unique),
le premier (the first), and le dernier (the last) in order to stress the rarity or the
uniqueness of the antecedent. However, if you use these expressions to refer to factual or objective situations, then use the indicative in the subordinate clause.
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C’est le meilleur professeur qui soit! (He’s the best professor ever there is!) This is
an exaggeration and therefore the verb is in the subjunctive.
Nous cherchons un hôtel qui ne soit pas trop cher. (We are looking for a hotel
that is not too expensive.) This statement doesn’t mean that we’re never going to
find a hotel that’s reasonably priced. However, the mere fact that we’re looking for
an inexpensive hotel dictates the use of the subjunctive. When the verb chercher
(to look for) is used affirmatively in the main clause, then put the verb in the subordinate clause in the subjunctive.
Connais-tu quelqu’un qui puisse s’occuper de mes enfants? (Do you know anyone
who can take care of my children?) This question is the same type of concept as the
previous two examples. Because you’re asking if someone knows someone who can
take care of the children, this warrants the use of the subjunctive in the subordinate
clause.
However, when the main clause refers to a definite, concluded, or factual person or
thing, you use the indicative in the subordinate clause.
C’est la plus mauvaise note que j’ai ce semestre. (It’s the worst grade that I have
this semester.) Even though this statement is superlative (the worst), it’s factual
rather than subjective. Therefore, you use the indicative.
Nous avons trouvé un hôtel qui n’est pas trop cher. (We found a hotel that is not
too expensive.) We already found the hotel; therefore this is factual, and the verb
in the subordinate clause is in the indicative and not the subjunctive.
Look at the antecedents and decide whether you would use the subjunctive or the
indicative in the subordinate clause, and then correctly conjugate the verb.
Q. Le directeur cherche un assistant qui _________________ (pouvoir) gérer sa compagnie.
A. Le directeur cherche un assistant qui puisse gérer sa compagnie. (The director is looking
for an assistant who can manage his company.)
31. Y a-t-il un restaurant qui _________________ (servir) des spécialités françaises?
32. Je connais quelqu’un qui _________________ (être) très fort en mathématiques.
33. C’est le plus beau tableau que je _________________ (voir) à l’exposition.
34. Elle veut trouver une femme de ménage qui _________________ (faire) aussi la cuisine.
35. C’est la plus grande valise que _________________ (vendre) ce magasin.
Looking at Idiomatic Expressions
and Commands
You probably already know at least one idiomatic expression in French that takes the
subjunctive. Have you heard this: Vive la France! (Long live France!)? Well, the verb is
in the subjunctive. As in this phrase, you can use the subjunctive alone, without the
requirement of a main clause, when it’s part of an idiomatic expression. Take a look at
the following idiomatic expressions.
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Vive la France! (Long live France!)
Soit! (So be it!)
Ainsi soit-il! (Amen!)
Que je sache. (As far as I know.)
You also use the subjunctive as a command in the third person singular or plural preceded by the relative pronoun que (that).
Qu’il sorte! (Have him leave! Literally: That he leave!)
Qu’elle se taise! (Have her be quiet!)
Qu’ils reviennent! (Have them come back!)
Translate the following sentences into French.
Q. Have them eat!
A. Qu’ils mangent.
36. Long live love!
__________________________________________________________________________________
37. Have him speak!
__________________________________________________________________________________
38. Have them drink!
__________________________________________________________________________________
39. As far as she knows.
__________________________________________________________________________________
40. Have her sing!
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Answer Key
In this section, you can find the correct answers to the practice problems in this
chapter. Closely review your answers and compare them to the correct ones.
a
Les professeurs proposent que nous lisions attentivement. (The professors propose that we
read attentively.)
b
Tu tiens à ce que je vienne avec toi. (You insist that I come with you.)
c
Le pilote ordonne que nous attachions notre ceinture de sécurité. (The pilot orders that we
fasten our seat belts.)
d
Le médecin n’aime pas que ses patients touchent l’équipement médical. (The doctor doesn’t
like that the patients touch the medical equipment.)
e
La loi empêche que l’on jette les ordures dans la rue. (The law prevents that one throw garbage
in the street.)
f
J’apprécie que tu me comprennes. (I appreciate that you understand me.)
g
Alexandre préfère que nous voyagions ensemble. (Alexandre prefers that we travel together.)
h
Mes parents refusent que je prenne la voiture. (My parents refuse that I take the car.)
i
Céline propose qu’on aille au cinéma. (Céline proposes that we go to the movies.)
j
Nous souhaitons que nos amis aient de bonnes notes. (We wish that our friends have good
grades.)
k
Je suis ravi que vous puissiez venir. (I am delighted that you can come.)
l
Nous sommes surpris que tu n’aies pas d’argent. (We are surprised that you don’t have any
money.)
m
Le professeur est furieux que les étudiants ne fassent pas attention. (The professor is furious
that the students are not paying attention.)
n
Mme Castel est triste que son fils vive dans un tel état. (Mme Castel is sad that her son lives in
such a state/condition.)
o
Les enfants sont déçus qu’il pleuve. (The children are disappointed that it is raining.)
p
Êtes-vous sûr qu’il ne suive pas de cours? (Are you sure that he is not taking any courses?)
q
Ne trouves-tu pas qu’il fasse froid? (Don’t you find that it’s cold?)
r
Il est évident que tu sais parler français. (It’s evident that you know how to speak French.)
s
Je ne doute pas que mon équipe favori va gagner. (I don’t doubt that my favorite team is going
to win.)
t
Il n’est pas clair que les droits humains soient respectés. (It is not clear that human rights are
respected.)
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u
Il vaut mieux que nous allions nous coucher tôt ce soir. (It is better that we go to bed early this
evening.)
v
Il est possible que mes beaux-parents prennent leur retraite. (It is possible that my in-laws take
their retirement.)
w
Il est nécessaire qu’Anne décrive ses expériences. (It is necessary that Anne describe her
experiences.)
x
C’est souhaitable que nous évitions la circulation. (It is preferable that we avoid the traffic.)
y
Il faut que je m’en aille. (It is necessary that I leave or I have to leave.)
A
Je te dis cela pour que tu le saches. (I am telling you this so that you know it.)
B
Nous ferons nos bagages avant de partir. (We will pack before leaving.)
C
Viens chez moi à moins d’avoir d’autres choses à faire. (Come to my house unless you have
other things to do.)
D
Le cambrioleur s’échappe de crainte que la police (ne) vienne. (The burglar escapes for fear
that the police will come.)
E
Mélanie va voyager à condition d’avoir de l’argent. (Mélanie is going to travel provided that she
has money.)
F
Y a-t-il un restaurant qui serve des spécialités françaises? (Is there a restaurant that serves
French specialities?)
G
Je connais quelqu’un qui est très fort en mathématiques. (I know someone who is very good/
strong in Math.)
H
C’est le plus beau tableau que je voie à l’exposition. (It is the most beautiful painting that I see
in the exhibit.)
I
Elle veut trouver une femme de ménage qui fasse aussi la cuisine. (She wants to find a cleaning
woman who also cooks.)
J
C’est la plus grande valise que vend ce magasin. (It’s the biggest suitcase that this store sells.)
K
Vive l’amour!
L
Qu’il parle!
M
Qu’ils boivent!
N
Qu’elle sache.
O
Qu’elle chante!
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Chapter 21
Forming and Using the Past Subjunctive
In This Chapter
Creating the past subjunctive
Using the past subjunctive
Choosing between the present and past subjunctive
I
n French you use the past subjunctive much more often than in English. It’s a compound
tense and is used to express a completed action in the past. The choice between the
present and past subjunctive depends on the time relationship between the main clause
and the subordinate clause.
You use the past subjunctive, also known as the perfect subjunctive, in oral as well as written
French. It follows the same rules as the present subjunctive that I talk about in Chapters 19
and 20. Use the past subjunctive when the action of the verb in the subordinate clause takes
place before the action of the main verb. That sounds tricky, but you can see an example of
this in this sentence: Je suis triste que mon ami ne soit pas venu à ma boom hier means
I am sad that my friend did not come to my party yesterday. In this chapter I first show you
how to form the past subjunctive and then how to correctly use it.
Forming the Past Subjunctive
Like all past tenses in French, the past subjunctive needs an auxiliary and a past participle
of a verb of your choice. Remember that French has two auxiliaries — avoir (to have) and
être (to be). To form the past subjunctive, you put these two auxiliaries in the present
subjunctive and add the past participle. For a list of verbs taking these auxiliaries as well as
a list of past participles, see Chapter 12.
The past subjunctive follows the same rules of agreement as any other compound past
tense. If the auxiliary of the verb is être, then the past participle agrees with the subject. If
the auxiliary of the verb is avoir, then the past participle agrees with the preceding direct
object if the sentence has one. If the sentence doesn’t have a preceding direct object, then
the past participle doesn’t change.
All pronominal verbs take the auxiliary être, but they follow the same rule of agreement as
those taking the auxiliary avoir. The past participle agrees with the preceding direct object
if the sentence has one. In the following examples, I conjugate an avoir verb (voir), an être
verb (partir), and a pronominal verb (se lever) in the past subjunctive tense.
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voir (to see)
que j’aie vu
que nous ayons vu
que tu aies vu
que vous ayez vu
qu’il/elle/on ait vu
qu’ils/elles aient vu
C’est le meilleur film que j’aie vu. (It’s the best film that I’ve seen.)
partir (to leave)
que je sois parti(e)
que nous soyons partis(es)
que tu sois parti(e)
que vous soyez parti(s)(e)(es)
qu’il/elle/on soit parti(e)
qu’ils/elles soient partis(es)
Il est triste que tu sois parti. (He’s sad that you left.)
se lever (to get up)
que je me sois levé(e)
que nous nous soyons levés(es)
que tu te sois levé(e)
que vous vous soyez levé(s)(e)(es)
qu’il/elle/on se sois levé(e)
qu’ils/elles se soient levés(es)
Il est surprenant que vous vous soyez leve si tôt. (It is surprising that you got up so early.)
Put the verbs in parentheses in the past subjunctive.
Q.
. . . que tu _________________ (faire)
A.
. . . que tu aies fait
1. . . . que nous _________________ (venir)
2. . . . qu’ils _________________ (chercher)
3. . . . que tu _________________ (tomber)
4. . . . que vous _________________ (demander)
5. . . . qu’elle _________________ (rester)
Using the Past Subjunctive
The past subjunctive is like any other past tense. You use it in the subordinate clause;
it follows the same rules as the present subjunctive. The verb or verbal expression in
the main clause must express a wish, will, command, emotion, doubt, or a subjective
point of view in order for the verb in the subordinate clause to be in the subjunctive.
Remember: Use the past subjunctive when the action of the verb in the subordinate
clause comes before the action of the verb in the main clause.
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Chapter 21: Forming and Using the Past Subjunctive
The choice between the present and past subjunctive doesn’t depend on the tense of
the verb in the main clause. The verb in the main clause can be in the present, past,
future, or even the conditional.
Mon grand-père était surpris que je ne sois pas allé le voir. (My grandfather was
surprised that I did not go to see him.)
Try putting the verbs in parentheses in the past subjunctive. Check out the sample
practice problem if you need help.
Q. Elle aurait préféré que nous _________________ (téléphoner)
A. Elle aurait préféré que nous ayons téléphoné. (She would have preferred that we called.)
6. C’est dommage que ton chien _________________ (mourir).
7. Croyez-vous qu’ils _________________ (ne pas prendre) de vacances depuis trois ans?
8. Nous sommes ravis que notre fille _________________ (recevoir) son diplôme.
9. J’étais surpris que tu _________________ (ne pas téléphoner).
10. Je regrette qu’ils _________________ (finir) avant sept heures.
Distinguishing between the Present
and Past Subjunctive
You choose either the present or past subjunctive based on the time relationship of
the action of the verb in the subordinate clause with the verb in the main clause.
Use the present subjunctive when the action of the verb in the subordinate clause
occurs at the same time or after the action of the main verb.
Je suis triste que tu partes. (I am sad that you are leaving.)
J’étais triste que tu partes. (I was sad that you were leaving.)
Je serai triste que tu partes. (I will be sad that you will be leaving.)
Use the past subjunctive when the action of the subordinate verb occurs before the
action of the main verb.
Je suis triste que tu sois parti. (I am sad that you left.)
J’étais triste que tu sois parti. (I was sad that you left.)
Je serai triste que tu sois parti. (I will be sad that you left.)
Decide between the present and past subjunctive in the following practice problems.
Remember that if the action of the verb in the subordinate clause occurs at the same
time or after the action of the main verb, you use the present subjunctive. But if the
action of the subordinate verb occurs before the action of the main verb, use the past
subjunctive.
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Q. Bien qu’il _________________ (essayer) d’ouvrir la porte, il n’a pas pu.
A. Bien qu’il ait essayé d’ouvrir la porte, il n’a pas pu. (Even though he tried to open the door,
he was not able to.)
11. Je suis content que tu _________________ (venir) hier soir.
12. Il faut que tu le _________________ (faire) maintenant.
13. Bien que maman _________________ (préparer) un grand repas, personne n’avait faim.
14. Tout le monde regrette que vous _________________ (être) licencié.
15. Je lirai en attendant que tu _________________ (s’habiller).
16. C’est le meilleur film que je jamais _________________ (voir).
17. Nos parents nous laisseront sortir pourvu que nous _________________ (amener) notre
soeur.
18. J’aurais voulu que tu _________________ (finir) tes études avant de te marier.
19. Il est nécessaire que nous _________________ (apprendre) le subjonctif.
20. Il vaut mieux que vous lui _________________ (téléphoner) avant de le voir.
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Answer Key
This section contains the answers to the practice problems in this chapter. Compare
your answers to the correct answers. (I don’t provide translations for problems 1–5
because they’re only verb conjugations and aren’t complete sentences.)
a
. . . que nous soyons venus(es)
b
. . . qu’ils aient cherché
c
. . . que tu sois tombé(e)
d
. . . que vous ayez demandé
e
. . . qu’elle soit restée
f
C’est dommage que ton chien soit mort. (It is too bad that your dog died.)
g
Croyez-vous qu’ils n’aient pas pris de vacances depuis trois ans? (Do you believe that they did
not take a vacation for three years?)
h
Nous sommes ravis que notre fille ait reçu son diplôme. (We are delighted that our daughter
received her diploma.)
i
J’étais surpris que tu n’aies pas téléphoné. (I was surprised that you didn’t call.)
j
Je regrette qu’ils n’aient pas fini avant sept heures. (I regret that they did not finish before seven
o’clock.)
k
Je suis content que tu sois venu(e) hier soir. (I am happy that you came yesterday evening.)
l
Il faut que tu le fasses maintenant. (It is necessary that you do it now.)
m
Bien que maman ait préparé un grand repas, personne n’avait faim. (Even though mom prepared a big meal, no one was hungry.)
n
Tout le monde regrette que vous ayez été licencié. (Everyone regrets that you were laid off.)
o
Je lirai en attendant que tu t’habilles. (I will read while waiting that you get dressed.)
p
C’est le meilleur film que j’aie jamais vu. (It’s the best film that I ever saw.)
q
Nos parents nous laisseront sortir pourvu que nous amenions notre soeur. (Our parents will
allow us to go out provided that we bring our sister.)
r
J’aurais voulu que tu aies fini tes études avant de te marier. (I would have liked that you had
finished your studies before getting married.)
s
Il est nécessaire que nous apprenions le subjonctif. (It is necessary that we learn the
subjunctive.)
t
Il vaut mieux que vous lui téléphoniez avant de le voir. (It is better that you call him before
seeing him.)
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Part VI
The Part of Tens
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T
In this part . . .
his part is similar to one in every other For Dummies
book. Here I include some great information in a nutshell that doesn’t necessarily fit anywhere else in this
book. In this part, I include two chapters with fun information that you can quickly absorb. Chapter 22 looks at ten
verbs that are used the French way. Chapter 23 looks at
ten verbs that are often frequently mixed-up between
French and English.
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Chapter 22
Ten Verbs Used the French Way
In This Chapter
Distinguishing transitive from intransitive verbs
Making sense of the prepositions
I
f you’ve ever tried to translate something from one language to another, you probably
didn’t translate literally or word for word. If you did translate literally, you probably
noticed something that didn’t quite jive in the translation. That’s because every language
has a way of saying things that’s unique to that language and therefore different in other
languages.
French is no different. In this chapter, I help you avoid pitfalls regarding ten verbs that are
used transitively in English but intransitively in French and vice versa. This means that some
verbs are followed by a direct object in one language but not in the other, and some verbs
take a preposition in one language but not in the other. Transitive verbs are followed by a
direct object, whereas intransitive verbs aren’t. (Chapter 1 gives you the complete lowdown
on the differences between transitive and intransitive verbs.) This chapter looks more
closely at ten common verbs that you may use in everyday conversation. (Please know that
this list isn’t exhaustive; I only list ten of the most common.) I start first with verbs that are
transitive in French, but intransitive in English, and then move to the intransitive French
verbs (and transitive English verbs).
Attendre (To Wait For)
The first French transitive verb that comes to mind is attendre (to wait for). (In English this
verb is intransitive.) Think of the preposition for as being built into the verb itself and therefore making any other preposition unnecessary.
Nous attendons le train. (We are waiting for the train.)
Ils attendent le professeur. (They are waiting for their professor.)
Chercher (To Look For)
The verb chercher (to look for) is another verb that’s transitive in French and intransitive in
English. In French you say Je cherche les clés, which is literally I’m looking the keys, but in
good English is I’m looking for the keys. The preposition for is built into the verb. You also
use the verb chercher to mean to pick up someone. So don’t panic if someone says, Je vais
chercher mes enfants à l’école. This statement doesn’t necessarily mean that I am going to
look for my children in school in the sense that they are lost in the school — instead it means
I’m picking them up.
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Écouter (To Listen To)
Écouter (to listen to) is also transitive in French but intransitive in English. Notice that
the following example doesn’t use a preposition between the verb écouter and the
noun, unlike in English where you use the preposition to.
Il écoute la radio. (He is listening to the radio.)
Nous écoutons le president. (We are listening to the president.)
Payer (To Pay)
When you go shopping, how do you pay for your purchases? How do you pay for your
movie ticket or even the grocery bill? In French, the verb payer (to pay) is transitive
and doesn’t need a preposition (like for) after it like it does in English.
Tu paies les provisions. (You are paying for the groceries.)
Nous payons les billets d’avion. (We are paying for the plane tickets.)
However, don’t use the verb payer to mean to pay a visit to someone; instead use the
verb rendre visite à (see Chapter 23).
Regarder (To Look At, To Watch)
The last French transitive verb that I cover in this chapter is the verb regarder (to look
at, to watch). In French, this verb is always followed by the direct object, regardless of
how you translate it in English.
Il regarde les oiseaux. (He is looking at the birds.)
Regarder also means to watch, and in that sense, it’s transitive in both English and
French.
Vous regardez le match. (You are watching the game.)
Je regarde la télé. (I’m watching television.)
Demander (To Ask)
The first intransitive French verb (but transitive English verb) that I cover is demander
(to ask). With this verb and the following four verbs in this chapter, you follow the
verb with the preposition à in French. When you ask someone a question, use the verb
demander à followed by the person.
Les étudiants demandent au professeur d’expliquer la leçon. (The students ask
the professor to explain the lesson.)
Elle demande à ses parents si elle peut sortir. (She asks her parents if she can
go out.)
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Chapter 22: Ten Verbs Used the French Way
However, don’t use the verb demander à when you want to ask a question; use the
verb poser (to put, to ask) followed by the noun une question (a question). The person
to whom you are asking the question is still indirect with this verb. The following
examples clarify this construction.
Il pose une question. (He is asking a question.)
Il pose une question au directeur. (He is asking a question to the director.)
Obéir (To Obey)
You also add the preposition à to the verb obéir (to obey). In French, you must say to
obey to someone, and therefore the person is the indirect object instead of the direct
object. In English, the person is the direct object. The fact that you’re obeying something rather than someone doesn’t change the structure of the verb. You still need the
preposition à.
Les enfants obéissent à leurs parents. (The children obey their parents.)
Nous obéissons à la loi. (We obey the law.)
Permettre (To Allow)
The same rule applies to the verb permettre (to allow). That is to say that in French,
you allow to someone to do something, and therefore you need the preposition à
before the noun. This verb is intransitive in French but transitive in English.
Le directeur permet aux employés de partir tôt. (The director allows the employees
to leave early.)
Mme Meneau permet à sa fille de sortir avec Mathieu. (Mrs. Meneau allows her
daughter to go out with Mathieu.)
Répondre (To Answer)
Another verb that you use differently in French than in English is the verb répondre
(to answer). In French, you answer to someone as well as to a question.
Tu réponds à la question. (You answer the question.)
Nous répondons à notre entraîneur. (We are answering our coach.)
Téléphoner (To Telephone, To Call)
When you call someone, you actually call to someone in French. This meaning is conveyed by the verb téléphoner, followed by the preposition à, and then followed by
either a person or a place.
Je téléphone à mes amis. (I am calling my friends.)
Ils téléphonent à leurs parents. (They call their parents.)
Nous téléphonons au bureau. (We’re calling the office.)
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Chapter 23
Ten Most Frequently Mixed-Up Verbs
In This Chapter
Deciphering nuances
Recognizing false friends
F
rench has many ways a nonnative speaker can mix up verbs or use them incorrectly.
The mix-ups are a result of these three problems:
These verbs sound like or are spelled similarly to an English verb. An example is
rester. This verb doesn’t mean to rest; it means to stay.
These verbs have the same meaning in English but are used differently in French. For
example, the verb visiter means (you guessed it) to visit, but you can’t use it to say that
you’re visiting friends. (Refer to “Visiting a Place or Visiting a Person” in this chapter.)
Other verbs change their meanings by changing the preposition that follows them. One
common example is the verb jouer (to play). It can take the preposition à or de, depending on what you’re playing. (Check out “Playing a Game or Playing an Instrument” later in
this chapter for more info.)
This chapter shows you how to use these verbs correctly and explains the nuances that
they may entail. (Chapter 10 also looks at different types of verbs that nonnatives sometimes mix up.)
Visiting a Place or Visiting a Person
French has two different verbs that mean to visit. One is visiter, which is a regular -er verb
conjugated just like parler (to speak) — see Chapter 2 for more on regular -er verbs. Use the
verb visiter to visit places, such as cities, countries, museums, and so on.
Nous avons visité le Louvre l’année dernière. (We visited the Louvre last year.)
Ils visiteront le Tibet au printemps. (They will visit Tibet in the spring.)
To visit a person, use the verbal construction rendre visite à, which translates as to pay a
visit to someone. You conjugate the verb rendre, which is a regular -re verb, and keep visite
the way it is. Just remember to add the preposition à before the person or people you’re visiting. The person or people to whom you’re paying a visit are always the indirect object of
this verb.
Il rend visite à ses grands-parents chaque été. (He visits his grandparents every summer.)
Est-ce que tu as rendu visite à tes amis hier? (Did you visit your friends yesterday?)
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Spending Time or Spending Money
English doesn’t have a difference between spending time or spending money because
both constructions use the same verb. In French, the verb to use when you spend
time doing something is passer.
Je passe mon temps à jardiner. (I spend my time gardening.)
Les enfants ont passé leur été à jouer à la plage. (The children spent their summer
playing at the beach.)
In addition to meaning to spend, you also use passer in the construction passer un
examen, which means to take an exam, such as with Les étudiants ont passé cinq
examens cette semaine (The students took five exams this week). In this context, the
verb doesn’t actually tell you anything about whether the students passed the exam
or not.
To express spending money, use the verb dépenser.
Elle a dépensé tout son salaire. (She spent her entire salary.)
Nous dépensons beaucoup d’argent au centre commercial. (We spend a lot of
money at the mall.)
Sometimes you use the verb dépenser to express other things that you spend (or use),
such as gas, water, or electricity.
La climatisation dépense beaucoup d’électricité. (Air conditioning uses a lot of
electricity.)
Knowing People or Places
or Knowing Something
French has two different verbs that mean to know. You use one for people and places,
and you use the other for facts and saying that you know how to do something.
Use the verb connaître with people, places, and things. It expresses the idea that
you’re acquainted with or have a familiarity with someone or something. You need to
follow this verb with a direct object because it’s a transitive verb; it can’t be followed
by a clause or by another verb. (Check out Chapter 1 for more on transitive verbs.)
Je connais le PDG de l’entreprise. (I know the CEO of the company.)
Connaissez-vous l’histoire de la France? (Do you know the history of France?)
Nous connaissons le Quartier Latin. (We know the Latin Quarter.)
On the other hand, the verb savoir means to know facts, such as dates, names,
addresses, and telephone numbers, or to know something by heart, as well as to
know how to do something.
Il sait le numéro de téléphone de Céline. (He knows Celine’s telephone number.)
Nous savons parler arabe. (We know how to speak Arabic.)
Je sais quand il part. (I know when he’s leaving.)
When you want to say, I know or I don’t know, you use the verb savoir.
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Chapter 23: Ten Most Frequently Mixed-Up Verbs
Savez-vous quelle heure il est? (Do you know what time it is?)
Je ne sais pas. (I don’t know.)
Playing a Game or Playing an Instrument
To play a game, a sport, or an instrument, use the verb jouer (to play), which is a regular -er verb (check out Chapter 2). That’s not so confusing, but the preposition that
follows this verb makes all the difference. Use jouer with the preposition à when playing sports or a game.
Les enfants jouent au football le samedi. (The children play soccer on Saturdays.)
Nous jouons aux échecs. (We play chess.)
When playing a musical instrument, use jouer with the preposition de.
Mes filles jouent du violon. (My daughters play violin.)
Il aime jouer de la batterie. (He likes to play the drums.)
Leaving or Leaving Something Behind
The verbs partir, s’en aller, quitter, and laisser all mean to leave, but you use them
differently.
Partir and s’en aller are synonyms. When you want to say quite simply I am leaving
or someone or something is leaving, use these verbs.
Je m’en vais. (I’m leaving.)
Il part. (He is leaving.)
Le train part à dix heures. (The train leaves at 10 o’clock.)
On the other hand, the verb quitter is always followed by a direct object. In other
words, use this verb when you’re leaving a place or a person. When quitter is used
with people, it usually means to abandon.
Elle a quitté la salle. (She left the room.)
Il a quitté sa femme. (He left his wife.)
The verb laisser means that you’re leaving something behind.
J’ai laissé mes clés dans la voiture. (I left my keys in the car.)
Ils laissent leurs affaires partout. (They leave their things everywhere.)
You also use the verb laisser to mean to allow or to let someone do something when
it’s followed by an infinitive.
Je laisse jouer les enfants. (I let the children play.)
Il me laisse partir. (He’s letting me leave.)
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Returning Home, Returning Something,
or Just Returning
French has four verbs that mean to return or to come back. They are retourner, rentrer,
revenir, and rendre. You use retourner for coming back to a place other than home.
Le chien retourne à son endroit favori. (The dog returns to his favorite spot.)
Les étudiants retournent à l’école. (The students return to school.)
You use the verb revenir (to come back) like the verb retourner (to return), but
revenir implies to come back to the same place you set off from. The verbs retourner
and revenir take the auxiliary être when used in a compound past tense like the
passé composé. (See Chapter 12 for more on the passé composé.) Unlike revenir,
retourner can be followed by a direct object, in which case it takes the auxiliary avoir.
Je reviendrai dans un quart d’heure. (I’ll be back in 15 minutes.)
You use the verb rentrer to mean to return home. Remember that this verb, like the
verbs revenir and retourner, takes the auxiliary être when you use it in a compound
past tense like the passé composé.
Nous sommes rentrés tard hier soir. (We came back [home] late last night.)
Elle rentre toujours à sept heures. (She always comes home at 7 o’clock.)
You use rendre when you return something, usually a borrowed object, or when you
give something back.
Il a rendu les livres à la bibliothèque. (He returned the books to the library.)
Le professeur rend les compositions. (The professor is giving back the compositions.)
Leading, Bringing, or Taking Someone
The verbs amener, ramener, emmener, and remmener are all compounds of the
verb mener (to lead).
Le Maire mène le défilé. (The Mayor is leading the parade.)
Elle mène une vie privée. (She leads a private life.)
Amener means to bring someone somewhere, and ramener means to bring someone back.
Elle amène ses enfants à l’école. (She brings her children to school.)
Elle ramène ses enfants de l’école. (She brings back her children from school.)
Emmener means to take someone along, and remmener means to take someone back.
Quand nous allons en vacances, nous emmenons notre fille. (When we go on
vacation, we take our daughter along.)
Il doit remmener sa petite amie. (He has to take his girlfriend back.)
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Chapter 23: Ten Most Frequently Mixed-Up Verbs
Carrying, Bringing, Taking,
or Taking Back Something
Apporter, rapporter, emporter, and remporter are compounds of porter (to wear).
You can use these verbs with things. You also use the verb porter when you carry
something.
Nous portons notre sac à dos. (We are carrying our book bag.)
Le petit chaperon rouge porte une corbeille. (Little Red Riding Hood is carrying a
basket.)
The verb apporter means to bring something, and rapporter is to bring something back.
Je vais apporter une bouteille de vin. (I am going to bring a bottle of wine.)
Papa, rapporte des chocolats de Suisse. (Dad, bring some chocolates back from
Switzerland.)
To take something along with you, use the verb emporter.
Nous emportons des vêtements chauds pour notre voyage en Alaska. (We are
taking warm clothes for our trip to Alaska.)
Also, use emporter when you take out or carry out food.
Ce restaurant a des plats délicieux à emporter. (This restaurant has delicious
meals to/for takeout.)
Remporter means to take back or to take away.
Remportez le bifteck, ce n’est pas assez cuit. (Take back the steak; it’s not cooked
enough.)
Les étudiants remportent leurs cahiers à la fin du semestre. (The students take
back their notebooks at the end of the semester.)
Thinking or Thinking About
In French, the verb penser (to think) is a regular -er verb. However, you can follow this
verb with either the preposition à or the preposition de. How do you choose between
these two prepositions? Well, if you want to say that you’re thinking about someone or
something, use the preposition à.
Il pense à ses enfants. (He’s thinking of/about his children.)
Nous pensons à notre avenir. (We’re thinking about our future.)
You use penser de to ask the question What do you think about someone or something?
Qu’est-ce que tu penses de ton patron? (What do you think of your boss?)
Que pensent-ils du film? (What do they think about the film?)
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Don’t use the preposition de to answer these questions. Instead, use penser que in
your response.
Qu’est-ce que tu penses de ton patron? (What do you think of your boss?)
You answer: Je pense qu’il est gentil. (I think he is nice.)
Waiting or Attending
French has many false friends, or faux amis. These false friends are words that may
look the same as a word in English but have a different meaning. This is the case with
the verbs attendre and assister à. Keep in mind that attendre doesn’t mean to attend
and assister à doesn’t mean to assist. In fact, assister à means to attend. Don’t forget to
use the preposition à after this verb.
Nous assisterons à la conference. (We will attend the lecture/conference.)
Ils assistent au match. (They are attending the game.)
Attendre means to wait for and is a transitive verb in French that’s followed by a
direct object. (Refer to Chapter 1 for more on transitive verbs.)
Elle attend ses amies. (She’s waiting for her friends.)
J’attends les résultats. (I’m waiting for the results.)
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Part VII
Appendixes
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T
In this part . . .
his part includes three appendixes, two of which are
very helpful glossaries: Appendix A is a French-toEnglish verb glossary where I list all the French verbs that
I use in this book (and a few bonus ones) along with their
English translations, and Appendix B is an English-to-French
glossary that lists the verbs first by the English followed by
a French translation. Appendix C may be one of the most
helpful pieces in this book because it helps you keep irregular verbs in order.
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Appendix A
French-to-English Verb Glossary
H
ave you encountered a French verb, but aren’t sure of its translation? Not to worry.
Just use this glossary to find its English meaning. This glossary doesn’t contain every
single French verb, but it does include all the French verbs I use in this book and a few more
bonus ones. I place an asterisk beside the French verb to alert you that it’s an irregular
verb. (Check out Appendix C to see how to conjugate the irregular verbs.) All the regular
verbs are conjugated the same way, depending on whether the verb is an -er, -ir, or -re verb.
accueillir*: to welcome, to greet
apporter: to bring something
accuser: to accuse
apprendre*: to learn
acheter: to buy
arranger: to arrange
admettre*: to admit
s’arrêter: to stop oneself
admirer: to admire
arriver: to arrive
adorer: to adore
assister à: to attend
agacer: to annoy, to irritate
attacher: to attach
agir: to act
attendre: to wait for
s’agir de: to be a question of, to be about
avancer: to advance
aimer: to like, to love
avoir*: to have
aller*: to go
se baigner: to bathe
amener: to bring someone
balancer: to swing
s’amuser: to have fun
balayer: to sweep
annoncer: to announce, to declare
bâtir: to build
apercevoir*: to perceive, to notice
bavarder: to chat, to talk
apparaître*: to appear
bercer: to rock, to cradle
appartenir*: to belong to
blesser: to hurt, to wound
appeler: to call
boire*: to drink
s’appeler: to be named
bouger: to move
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se brosser: to brush
craindre*: to fear
bronzer: to tan
croire*: to believe
cacher: to hide
cueillir*: to pick, to gather
célébrer: to celebrate
cuire*: to cook
changer: to change
danser: to dance
chanter: to sing
se débrouiller: to manage
chercher: to look for
déceler: to detect, to reveal
choisir: to choose
décevoir*: to disappoint
se coiffer: to do one’s hair
décider: to decide
commencer: to begin
décourager: to discourage
commettre*: to commit
découvrir*: to discover
comparer: to compare
décrire*: to describe
comprendre*: to understand
dédicacer: to sign, to autograph
compromettre*: to compromise
défendre: to defend
concevoir*: to conceive
défendre de: to forbid
conduire*: to drive
demander: to ask
congeler: to freeze
se demander: to wonder
connaître*: to know
déménager: to move, to change residence
conseiller: to advise
dénoncer: to denounce
consentir*: to consent
se dépêcher: to hurry
construire*: to construct, to build
déplacer: to displace
contenir*: to contain
déranger: to bother, to disturb
continuer: to continue
descendre: to go down, to take down
contredire*: to contradict
désirer: to desire, to want
corriger: to correct
détester: to hate
se coucher: to go to bed
devenir*: to become
couper: to cut
devoir*: to have to, to must, to owe
couvrir*: to cover
dire*: to say
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Appendix A: French-to-English Verb Glossary
disparaître*: to disappear
épeler: to spell
disputer: to argue
espérer: to hope
divorcer: to get a divorce
essayer: to try
donner: to give
essuyer: to wipe
dormir*: to sleep
établir: to establish
écouter: to listen
être*: to be
écrire*: to write
étudier: to study
effacer: to erase
exagérer: to exaggerate
effrayer: to frighten, to scare
s’excuser: to excuse oneself
élire*: to elect
exiger: to require, to demand
embrasser: to kiss, to embrace
faire*: to do, to make
emmener: to take someone along
se fiancer: to be/get engaged
employer: to use
finir: to finish
emporter: to take something along
fondre: to melt
s’en aller*: to leave
forcer: to force, to compel
encourager: to encourage
geler: to freeze
s’endormir*: to fall asleep
glacer: to chill, to glaze
s’énerver: to become irritated
grandir: to grow (up)
ennuyer: to bother
grossir: to gain weight
s’ennuyer: to be bored
guérir: to cure, to heal
enrager: to be furious, to be in a rage
s’habiller: to get dressed
enseigner: to teach
habiter: to live (somewhere), to reside
entendre: to hear
hésiter: to hesitate
s’entendre: to get along
infliger: to inflict, to impose
entreprendre*: to undertake
influencer: to influence
entrer: to enter
s’ inquiéter: to be worried
entrevoir*: to catch a glimpse of, to make out
interdire*: to forbid
envoyer: to send
inviter: to invite
259
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jeter: to throw
ouvrir*: to open
jouer: to play
pâlir: to turn pale
juger: to judge
paraître*: to appear
laisser: to allow, to let, to leave something/
someone
parler: to speak
partager: to share
(se) laver: to wash
partir*: to leave
lever: to raise, to lift
passer: to spend, to pass
se lever: to get up
payer: to pay
lire*: to read
se peigner: to comb one’s hair
loger: to accommodate, to lodge
peler: to peel
maigrir: to lose weight
pendre: to hang
manger: to eat
penser: to think
se maquiller: to put makeup on
percer: to pierce
marcher: to walk
perdre: to lose, to waste
mélanger: to mix
peser: to weigh
menacer: to threaten
pincer: to pinch
mener: to lead
placer: to place
mentir: to lie
plonger: to dive
mettre*: to put, to place
polir: to polish
se mettre à*: to begin
porter: to wear, to carry
monter: to climb, to go up, to get in
pouvoir*: to be able to
nager: to swim
prédire*: to predict
nettoyer: to clean
préférer: to prefer
nuire*: to be harmful, to harm
prendre*: to take
obéir à: to obey
préparer: to prepare
obliger: to oblige, to compel
présenter: to present, to introduce
obtenir*: to obtain
prévoir*: to foresee, to anticipate
offrir*: to offer
prolonger: to prolong
oublier: to forget
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Appendix A: French-to-English Verb Glossary
se promener: to take a walk, to stroll
remettre*: to put back
promettre*: to promise
remmener: to take someone back
prononcer: to pronounce
remplacer: to replace
proposer: to propose
remplir: to fill
proscrire*: to banish, to prohibit
remporter: to take back, to take away
protéger: to protect
rencontrer: to meet
punir: to punish
rendre: to give back, to return
quitter: to leave, to abandon
se rendre compte de: to realize
ramener: to bring someone back
rendre visite à quelqu’un: to pay a visit to
someone (to visit someone)
ranger: to put in order, to arrange
renforcer: to reinforce
se rappeler: to remember
renoncer: to give up, to renounce
rapporter: to bring something back
rentrer: to come back home
se raser: to shave
repartir*: to leave again
ravager: to devastate, to ravage
répéter: to repeat
réagir: to react
répondre à: to answer
recevoir*: to receive
se reposer: to rest
recommencer: to start again
reprendre*: to take (up) again, to continue
reconnaître*: to recognize
ressentir*: to feel
recouvrer*: to recover
retenir*: to retain
récrire*: to rewrite
réunir: to unite, to gather, to assemble
rédiger: to draft, to write
réussir à: to succeed
redire*: to repeat
se réveiller: to wake up
réfléchir à: to reflect, to think
revenir*: to come back
refuser: to refuse
rêver: to dream
regarder: to watch
revoir*: to see again
rejeter: to reject
rire*: to laugh
réjouir: to rejoice, to delight
rougir: to blush
relire*: to reread
261
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savoir*: to know
tracer: to draw, to trace
sentir*: to feel, to smell
trahir: to betray
servir*: to serve
transmettre*: to transmit
songer (à): to dream, to think over
travailler: to work
sortir*: to go out
trouver: to find
souffrir*: to suffer
tutoyer: to address someone as “tu”
soulager: to relieve
unir: to unite
soumettre*: to subject, to subjugate
vendre: to sell
sourire*: to smile
venger: to avenge
se souvenir de*: to remember
venir*: to come
suggérer: to suggest
vieillir: to grow old
surprendre*: to surprise
visiter: to visit (a place)
téléphoner: to call
voir*: to see
tenir*: to hold
vouloir*: to want
tomber: to fall
vouvoyer: to address someone as “vous”
tondre: to mow
voyager: to travel
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Appendix B
English-to-French Verb Glossary
H
ave you been talking away in French only to come to a complete halt because you’re
not quite sure of the French verb? This glossary can help. Just look up the English
verb for the French translation. Voilà! (I add an asterisk after the French verb to help you
identify the irregular verbs; you can then check out Appendix C on how to conjugate the
irregular verb.)
to accommodate, to lodge: loger
to ask: demander
to accuse: accuser
to attach: attacher
to act: agir
to attend: assister à
to address someone as “tu”: tutoyer
to avenge: venger
to address someone as “vous”: vouvoyer
to banish, to prohibit: proscrire*
to admire: admirer
to bathe: se baigner
to admit: admettre*
to be: être*
to adore: adorer
to be a question of, to be about: s’agir de
to advance: avancer
to be able to: pouvoir*
to advise: conseiller
to be bored: s’ennuyer
to allow, to let, to leave something/
someone: laisser
to be engaged: se fiancer
to be furious, to be in a rage: enrager
to announce, to declare: annoncer
to be harmful, to harm: nuire*
to annoy, to irritate: agacer
to be named: s’appeler
to answer: répondre à
to be worried: s’ inquiéter
to appear, to seem: apparaître*
to become: devenir*
to appear: paraître*
to become irritated: s’énerver
to argue: disputer
to begin: commencer
to arrange: arranger
to begin: se mettre à*
to arrive: arriver
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to believe: croire*
to compare: comparer
to belong to: appartenir*
to compromise: compromettre*
to betray: trahir
to conceive: concevoir*
to blush: rougir
to consent: consentir*
to bother: ennuyer
to construct, to build: construire*
to bother, to disturb: déranger
to contain: contenir*
to bring someone: amener
to continue: continuer
to bring someone back: ramener
to contradict: contredire*
to bring something: apporter
to cook: cuire*
to bring something back: rapporter
to correct: corriger
to brush: se brosser
to cover: couvrir*
to build: bâtir
to cure, to heal: guérir
to buy: acheter
to cut: couper
to call: appeler
to cut oneself: se couper
to call: téléphoner
to dance: danser
to catch a glimpse of, to make out: entrevoir*
to decide: décider
to celebrate: célébrer
to defend: défendre
to change: changer
to denounce: dénoncer
to chat, to talk: bavarder
to describe: décrire*
to chill, to glaze: glacer
to desire, to want: désirer
to choose: choisir
to detect, to reveal: déceler
to clean: nettoyer
to devastate, to ravage: ravager
to climb, to go up, to get in: monter
to disappear: disparaître*
to comb one’s hair: se peigner
to disappoint: décevoir*
to come: venir*
to discourage: décourager
to come back: revenir*
to discover: découvrir*
to come back home: rentrer
to displace: déplacer
to commit: commettre*
to dive: plonger
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Appendix B: English-to-French Verb Glossary
to do, to make: faire*
to foresee, to anticipate: prévoir*
to do one’s hair: se coiffer
to forget: oublier
to draft, to write: rédiger
to freeze: congeler
to draw, to trace: tracer
to freeze: geler
to dream: rêver
to frighten, to scare: effrayer
to dream, to think over: songer (à)
to gain weight: grossir
to drink: boire*
to get a divorce: divorcer
to drive: conduire*
to get along: s’entendre
to eat: manger
to get dressed: s’habiller
to elect: élire*
to get up: se lever
to encourage: encourager
to give: donner
to enter: entrer
to give back, to return: rendre
to erase: effacer
to give up, to renounce: renoncer
to establish: établir
to go: aller*
to exaggerate: exagérer
to go down, to take down: descendre
to excuse oneself: s’excuser
to go out: sortir*
to fall: tomber
to go to bed: se coucher
to fall asleep: s’endormir*
to grow (up): grandir
to fear: craindre*
to grow old: vieillir
to feel: ressentir*
to hang: pendre
to feel, to smell: sentir*
to hate: détester
to feel: se sentir*
to have: avoir*
to fill: remplir
to have fun: s’amuser
to find: trouver
to have to, to must, to owe: devoir*
to finish: finir
to hear: entendre
to forbid: défendre de
to hesitate: hésiter
to forbid: interdire*
to hide: cacher
to force, to compel: forcer
to hold: tenir*
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to hope: espérer
to move: bouger
to hurry: se dépêcher
to move, to change residence: déménager
to hurt, to wound: blesser
to mow: tondre
to inflict, to impose: infliger
to notice: s’apercevoir de*
to influence: influencer
to obey: obéir à
to invite: inviter
to oblige someone to do something, to force:
obliger
to judge: juger
to obtain: obtenir
to kiss, to embrace: embrasser
to offer: offrir*
to know: connaître*
to open: ouvrir*
to know: savoir*
to pay: payer
to laugh: rire*
to lead: mener
to pay a visit to someone (to visit someone):
rendre visite à quelqu’un
to learn: apprendre*
to peel: peler
to leave: partir*
to perceive, to notice: apercevoir*
to leave, to abandon: quitter
to pick, to gather: cueillir*
to leave: s’en aller*
to pierce: percer
to leave again: repartir*
to pinch: pincer
to lie: mentir*
to place: placer
to like, to love: aimer
to play: jouer
to listen: écouter
to polish: polir
to live (somewhere), to reside: habiter
to predict: prédire*
to look for: chercher
to prefer: préférer
to lose weight: maigrir
to prepare: préparer
to lose, to waste: perdre
to present, to introduce: présenter
to manage: se débrouiller
to prolong: prolonger
to meet: rencontrer
to promise: promettre*
to melt: fondre
to pronounce: prononcer
to mix: mélanger
to propose: proposer
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to protect: protéger
to rock, to cradle: bercer
to punish: punir
to say: dire*
to put, to place: mettre*
to see: voir*
to put back: remettre*
to see again: revoir*
to put in order, to arrange: ranger
to sell: vendre
to put on makeup: se maquiller
to send: envoyer
to raise, to lift: lever
to serve: servir*
to react: réagir
to share: partager
to read: lire*
to shave: se raser
to realize: se rendre compte de
to sign, to autograph: dédicacer
to receive: recevoir*
to sing: chanter
to recover: recouvrer*
to sleep: dormir*
to reflect, to think: réfléchir à
to smile: sourire*
to refuse: refuser
to speak: parler
to reinforce: renforcer
to spell: épeler
to reject: rejeter
to spend, to pass: passer
to rejoice, to delight: réjouir
to start again: recommencer
to relieve: soulager
to stop oneself: s’arrêter
to remember: se rappeler
to study: étudier
to remember: se souvenir* de
to subject, to subjugate: soumettre*
to repeat, to say again: redire*
to succeed: réussir à
to repeat: répéter
to suffer: souffrir*
to replace: remplacer
to suggest: suggérer
to require, to demand: exiger
to surprise: surprendre*
to reread: relire*
to sweep: balayer
to rest: se reposer
to swim: nager
to retain: retenir*
to swing: balancer
to rewrite: récrire*
to take: prendre*
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to take back, to take away: remporter
to unite: unir
to take someone along: emmener
to unite, to gather, to assemble: réunir
to take someone back: remmener
to use: employer
to take something along: emporter
to visit (a place): visiter
to take (up) again, to continue: reprendre*
to wait for: attendre
to take a walk, to stroll: se promener
to wake up: se réveiller
to tan: bronzer
to walk: marcher
to teach: enseigner
to want: vouloir*
to think: penser
to wash: (se) laver
to threaten: menacer
to watch: regarder
to throw: jeter
to wear, to carry: porter
to transmit: transmettre*
to weigh: peser
to travel: voyager
to welcome, to greet: accueillir*
to try: essayer
to wipe: essuyer
to turn pale: pâlir
to wonder: se demander
to understand: comprendre*
to work: travailler
to undertake: entreprendre*
to write: écrire*
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Appendix C
Conjugating Common Irregular Verbs
T
his appendix contains the most common irregular French verbs. Just remember the six
pronouns (je, tu, il/elle/on, nous, vous, and ils/elles) and voila! You can use any verb in
its correct form.
Acheter (to buy)
Present Participle: achetant; Imperative: achète, achetons, achetez
Present Indicative: achète, achètes, achète, achetons, achetez, achètent
Passé Composé: ai acheté, as acheté, a acheté, avons acheté, avez acheté, ont acheté
Imperfect: achetais, achetais, achetait, achetions, achetiez, achetaient
Pluperfect: avais acheté, avais acheté, avait acheté, avions acheté, aviez acheté, avaient acheté
Future: achèterai, achèteras, achètera, achèterons, achèterez, achèteront
Fut. Perfect: aurai acheté, auras acheté, aura acheté, aurons acheté, aurez acheté, auront
acheté
Conditional: achèterais, achèterais, achèterait, achèterions, achèteriez, achèteraient
Past Cond.: aurais acheté, aurais acheté, aurait acheté, aurions acheté, auriez acheté,
auraient acheté
Subjunctive: achète, achètes, achète, achetions, achetiez, achètent
Past Subj.: aie acheté, aies acheté, ait acheté, ayons acheté, ayez acheté, aient acheté
Verbs conjugated like acheter include congeler (to freeze), déceler (to detect), geler (to freeze),
lever (to raise), se lever (to get up), mener (to lead) and all its compounds, and peler (to peel).
Aller (to go)
Present Participle: allant; Imperative: va, allons, allez
Present Indicative: vais, vas, va, allons, allez, vont
Passé Composé: suis allé(e), es allé(e), est allé(e), sommes allés(es), êtes allé(e)(s)(es),
sont allés(es)
Imperfect: allais, allais, allait, allions, alliez, allaient
Pluperfect: étais allé(e), étais allé(e), était allé(e), étions allés(es), étiez allé(e)(s)(es),
étaient allés(es)
Future: irai, iras, ira, irons, irez, iront
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Fut. Perfect: serai allé(e), seras allé(e), sera allé(e), serons allés(es), serez
allé(e)(s)(es), seront allés(es)
Conditional: irais, irais, irait, irions, iriez, iraient
Past Cond.: serais allé(e), serais allé(e), serait allé(e), serions allés(es), seriez
allé(e)(s)(es), seraient allés(es)
Subjunctive: aille, ailles, aille, allions, alliez, aillent
Past Subj.: sois allé(e), sois allé(e), soit allé(e), soyons allés(es), vous soyez
allé(e)(s)(es), soient allés (es)
Appeler (to call)
Present Participle: appelant; Imperative: appelle, appelons, appelez
Present Indicative: appelle, appelles, appelle, appelons, appelez, appellent
Passé Composé: ai appelé, as appelé, a appelé, avons appelé, avez appelé, ont appelé
Imperfect: appelais, appelais, appelait, appelions, appeliez, appelaient
Pluperfect: avais appelé, avais appelé, avait appelé, avions appelé, aviez appelé,
avaient appelé
Future: appellerai, appelleras, appellera, appellerons, appellerez, appelleront
Fut. Perfect: aurai appelé, auras appelé, aura appelé, aurons appelé, aurez appelé,
auront appelé
Conditional: appellerais, appellerais, appellerait, appellerions, appelleriez, appelleraient
Past Cond.: aurais appelé, aurais appelé, aurait appelé, aurions appelé, auriez appelé,
auraient appelé
Subjunctive: appelle, appelles, appelle, appelions, appeliez, appellent
Past Subj.: aie appelé, aies appelé, ait appelé, ayons appelé, ayez appelé, aient appelé
Verbs conjugated like appeler include épeler (to spell), jeter (to throw), (se) rappeler
(to remember), and rejeter (to reject, to throw back). For jeter and rejeter, double the
tt where you double the ll in appeler.
Avoir (to have)
Present Participle: ayant; Imperative: aie, ayons, ayez
Present Indicative: ai, as, a, avons, avez, ont
Passé Composé: ai eu, as eu, a eu, avons eu, avez eu, ont eu
Imperfect: avais, avais, avait, avions, aviez, avaient
Pluperfect: avais eu, avais eu, avait eu, avions eu, aviez eu, avaient eu
Future: aurai, auras, aura, aurons, aurez, auront
Fut. Perfect: aurai eu, auras eu, aura eu, aurons eu, aurez eu, auront eu
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Conditional: aurais, aurais, aurait, aurions, auriez, auraient
Past Cond.: aurais eu, aurais eu, aurait eu, aurions eu, auriez eu, auraient eu
Subjunctive: aie, aies, ait, ayons, ayez, aient
Past Subj.: aie eu, aies eu, ait eu, ayons eu, ayez eu, aient eu
Boire (to drink)
Present Participle: buvant; Imperative: bois, buvons, buvez
Present Indicative: bois, bois, boit, buvons, buvez, boivent
Passé Composé: ai bu, as bu, a bu, avons bu, avez bu, ont bu
Imperfect: buvais, buvais, buvait, buvions, buviez, buvaient
Pluperfect: avais bu, avais bu, avait bu, avions bu, aviez bu, avaient bu
Future: boirai, boiras, boira, boirons, boirez, boiront
Fut. Perfect: aurai bu, auras bu, aura bu, aurons bu, aurez bu, auront bu
Conditional: boirais, boirais, boirait, boirions, boiriez, boiraient
Past Cond.: aurais bu, aurais bu, aurait bu, aurions bu, auriez bu, auraient bu
Subjunctive: boive, boives, boive, buvions, buviez, boivent
Past Subj.: aie bu, aies bu, ait bu, ayons bu, ayez bu, aient bu
Commencer (to begin)
Present Participle: commençant; Imperative: commence, commençons, commencez
Present Indicative: commence, commences, commence, commençons, commencez,
commencent
Passé Composé: ai commencé, as commencé, a commencé, avons commencé, avez
commencé, ont commencé
Imperfect: commençais, commençais, commençait, commencions, commenciez,
commençaient
Pluperfect: avais commencé, avais commencé, avait commencé, avions commencé,
aviez commencé, avaient commencé
Future: commencerai, commenceras, commencera, commencerons, commencerez,
commenceront
Fut. Perfect: aurai commencé, auras commencé, aura commencé, aurons commencé,
aurez commencé, auront commencé
Conditional: commencerais, commencerais, commencerait, commencerions,
commenceriez, commenceraient
Past Cond.: aurais commencé, aurais commencé, aurait commencé, aurions commencé,
auriez commencé, auraient commencé
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Subjunctive: commence, commences, commence, commencions, commenciez,
commencent
Past Subj.: aie commencé, aies commencé, ait commencé, ayons commencé, ayez
commencé, aient commencé
Verbs conjugated like commencer include agacer (to irritate), annoncer (to announce),
avancer (to advance), balancer (to swing), bercer (to cradle), dédicacer (to sign, to
autograph), dénoncer (to denounce), déplacer (to transfer, to move), divorcer (to get
divorced), effacer (to erase), (se) fiancer (to get engaged), forcer (to force), glacer
(to freeze, to chill), influencer (to influence), menacer (to threaten), percer (to pierce),
pincer (to pinch), placer (to place), prononcer (to pronounce), recommencer (to start
again, to resume), remplacer (to replace), renforcer (to reinforce), renoncer (to give up),
and tracer (to trace).
Conduire (to drive)
Present Participle: conduisant; Imperative: conduis, conduisons, conduisez
Present Indicative: conduis, conduis, conduit, conduisons, conduisez, conduisent
Passé Composé: ai conduit, as conduit, a conduit, avons conduit, avez conduit, ont
conduit
Imperfect: conduisais, conduisais, conduisait, conduisions, conduisiez, conduisaient
Pluperfect: avais conduit, avais conduit, avait conduit, avions conduit, aviez conduit,
avaient conduit
Future: conduirai, conduiras, conduira, conduirons, conduirez, conduiront
Fut. Perfect: aurai conduit, auras conduit, aura conduit, aurons conduit, aurez conduit,
auront conduit
Conditional: conduirais, conduirais, conduirait, conduirions, conduiriez, conduiraient
Past Cond.: aurais conduit, aurais conduit, aurait conduit, aurions conduit, auriez
conduit, auraient conduit
Subjunctive: conduise, conduises, conduise, conduisions, conduisiez, conduisent
Past Subj.: aie conduit, aies conduit, ait conduit, ayons conduit, ayez conduit, aient
conduit
Verbs conjugated like conduire include construire (to build, to construct), cuire (to cook),
and nuire (to harm).
Connaître (to know)
Present Participle: connaissant; Imperative: connais, connaissons, connaissez
Present Indicative: connais, connais, connaît, connaissons, connaissez, connaissent
Passé Composé: ai connu, as connu, a connu, avons connu, avez connu, ont connu
Imperfect: connaissais, connaissais, connaissait, connaissions, connaissiez,
connaissaient
Pluperfect: avais connu, avais connu, avait connu, avions connu, aviez connu, avaient
connu
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Future: connaîtrai, connaîtras, connaîtra, connaîtrons, connaîtrez, connaîtront
Fut. Perfect: aurai connu, auras connu, aura connu, aurons connu, aurez connu,
auront connu
Conditional: connaîtrais, connaîtrais, connaîtrait, connaîtrions, connaîtriez, connaîtraient
Past Cond.: aurais connu, aurais connu, aurait connu, aurions connu, auriez connu,
auraient connu
Subjunctive: connaisse, connaisses, connaisse, connaissions, connaissiez, connaissent
Past Subj.: aie connu, aies connu, ait connu, ayons connu, ayez connu, aient connu
Verbs conjugated like connaître include apparaître (to appear, to seem), disparaître
(to disappear), paraître (to seem, to appear), and reconnaître (to recognize).
Craindre (to fear)
Present Participle: craignant; Imperative: crains, craignons, craignez
Present Indicative: crains, crains, craint, craignons, craignez, craignent
Passé Composé: ai craint, as craint, a craint, avons craint, avez craint, ont craint
Imperfect: craignais, craignais, craignait, craignions, craigniez, craignaient
Pluperfect: avais craint, avais craint, avait craint, avions craint, aviez craint, avaient
craint
Future: craindrai, craindras, craindra, craindrons, craindrez, craindront
Fut. Perfect: aurai craint, auras craint, aura craint, aurons craint, aurez craint, auront
craint
Conditional: craindrais, craindrais, craindrait, craindrions, craindriez, craindraient
Past Cond.: aurais craint, aurais craint, aurait craint, aurions craint, auriez craint,
auraient craint
Subjunctive: craigne, craignes, craigne, craignions, craigniez, craignent
Past Subj.: aie craint, aies craint, ait craint, ayons craint, ayez craint, aient craint
Croire (to believe)
Present Participle: croyant; Imperative: crois, croyons, croyez
Present Indicative: crois, crois, croit, croyons, croyez, croient
Passé Composé: ai cru, as cru, a cru, avons cru, avez cru, ont cru
Imperfect: croyais, croyais, croyait, croyions, croyiez, croyaient
Pluperfect: avais cru, avais cru, avait cru, avions cru, aviez cru, avaient cru
Future: croirai, croiras, croira, croirons, croirez, croiront
Fut. Perfect: aurai cru, auras cru, aura cru, aurons cru, aurez cru, auront cru
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Conditional: croirais, croirais, croirait, croirions, croiriez, croiraient
Past Cond.: aurais cru, aurais cru, aurait cru, aurions cru, auriez cru, auraient cru
Subjunctive: croie, croies, croie, croyions, croyiez, croient
Past Subj.: aie cru, aies cru, ait cru, ayons cru, ayez cru, aient cru
Devoir (to have to, must)
Present Participle: devant; Imperative: dois, devons, devez
Present Indicative: dois, dois, doit, devons, devez, doivent
Passé Composé: ai dû, as dû, a dû, avons dû, avez dû, ont dû
Imperfect: devais, devais, devait, devions, deviez, devaient
Pluperfect: avais dû, avais dû, avait dû, avions dû, aviez dû, avaient dû
Future: devrai, devras, devra, devrons, devrez, devront
Fut. Perfect: aurai dû, auras dû, aura dû, aurons dû, aurez dû, auront dû
Conditional: devrais, devrais, devrait, devrions, devriez, devraient
Past Cond.: aurais dû, aurais dû, aurait dû, aurions dû, auriez dû, auraient dû
Subjunctive: doive, doives, doive, devions, deviez, doivent
Past Subj.: aie dû, aies dû, ait dû, ayons dû, ayez dû, aient dû
Dire (to say)
Present Participle: disant; Imperative: dis, disons, dites
Present Indicative: dis, dis, dit, disons, dites, disent
Passé Composé: ai dit, as dit, a dit, avons dit, avez dit, ont dit
Imperfect: disais, disais, disait, disions, disiez, disaient
Pluperfect: avais dit, avais dit, avait dit, avions dit, aviez dit, avaient dit
Future: dirai, diras, dira, dirons, direz, diront
Fut. Perfect: aurai dit, auras dit, aura dit, aurons dit, aurez dit, auront dit
Conditional: dirais, dirais, dirait, dirions, diriez, diraient
Past Cond.: aurais dit, aurais dit, aurait dit, aurions dit, auriez dit, auraient dit
Subjunctive: dise, dises, dise, disions, disiez, disent
Past Subj.: aie dit, aies dit, ait dit, ayons dit, ayez dit, aient dit
Verbs conjugated like dire include contredire* (to contradict), interdire* (to forbid),
prédire* (to predict), and redire (to repeat). *The vous form of the present indicative
and the imperative ends in -disez. For example, vous contredisez, vous interdisez,
and vous prédisez.
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Écrire (to write)
Present Participle: écrivant; Imperative: écris, écrivons, écrivez
Present Indicative: écris, écris, écrit, écrivons, écrivez, écrivent
Passé Composé: ai écrit, as écrit, a écrit, avons écrit, avez écrit, ont écrit
Imperfect: écrivais, écrivais, écrivait, écrivions, écriviez, écrivaient
Pluperfect: avais écrit, avais écrit, avait écrit, avions écrit, aviez écrit, avaient écrit
Future: écrirai, écriras, écrira, écrirons, écrirez, écriront
Fut. Perfect: aurai écrit, auras écrit, aura écrit, aurons écrit, aurez écrit, auront écrit
Conditional: écrirais, écrirais, écrirait, écririons, écririez, écriraient
Past Cond.: aurais écrit, aurais écrit, aurait écrit, aurions écrit, auriez écrit, auraient
écrit
Subjunctive: écrive, écrives, écrive, écrivions, écriviez, écrivent
Past Subj.: aie écrit, aies écrit, ait écrit, ayons écrit, ayez écrit, aient écrit
Verbs conjugated like écrire include décrire (to discribe), prescrire (to prescribe),
proscrire (to banish, to prohibit), and récrire (to rewrite).
Espérer (to hope)
Present Participle: espérant; Imperative: espère, espérons, espérez
Present Indicative: espère, espères, espère, espérons, espérez, espèrent
Passé Composé: ai espéré, as espéré, a espéré, avons espéré, avez espéré, ont espéré
Imperfect: espérais, espérais, espérait, espérions, espériez, espéraient
Pluperfect: avais espéré, avais espéré, avait espéré, avions espéré, aviez espéré,
avaient espéré
Future: espérerai, espéreras, espérera, espérerons, espérerez, espéreront
Fut. Perfect: aurai espéré, auras espéré, aura espéré, aurons espéré, aurez espéré,
auront espéré
Conditional: espérerais, espérerais, espérerait, espérerions, espéreriez, espéreraient
Past Cond.: aurais espéré, aurais espéré, aurait espéré, aurions espéré, auriez espéré,
auraient espéré
Subjunctive: espère, espères, espère, espérions, espériez, espèrent
Past Subj.: aie espéré, aies espéré, ait espéré, ayons espéré, ayez espéré, aient espéré
Verbs that are conjugated like espérer include célébrer (to celebrate), exagérer
(to exaggerate), (s’) inquiéter (to worry), préférer (to prefer), protéger (to protect),
répéter (to repeat), and suggérer (to suggest). Note: Espérer, préférer, and répéter
don’t have a stem change in the future or conditional, but the rest of these verbs do.
For example, the future and conditional of célébrer is célèbrerai(s).
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Essayer (to try)
Present Participle: essayant; Imperative: essaie, essayons, essayez
Present Indicative: essaie, essaies, essaie, essayons, essayez, essaient
Passé Composé: ai essayé, as essayé, a essayé, avons essayé, avez essayé, ont essayé
Imperfect: essayais, essayais, essayait, essayions, essayiez, essayaient
Pluperfect: avais essayé, avais essayé, avait essayé, avions essayé, aviez essayé,
avaient essayé
Future: essaierai, essaieras, essaiera, essaierons, essaierez, essaieront
Fut. Perfect: aurai essayé, auras essayé, aura essayé, aurons essayé, aurez essayé,
auront essayé
Conditional: essaierais, essaierais, essaierait, essaierions, essaieriez, essaieraient
Past Cond.: aurais essayé, aurais essayé, aurait essayé, aurions essayé, auriez essayé,
auraient essayé
Subjunctive: essaie, essaies, essaie, essayions, essayiez, essaient
Past Subj.: aie essayé, aies essayé, ait essayé, ayons essayé, ayez essayé, aient essayé
Verbs conjugated like essayer include balayer (to sweep), effrayer (to frighten),
employer (to use), ennuyer (to bother), (s’) ennuyer (to be bored), envoyer*
(to send), essuyer (to wipe), nettoyer (to clean), payer (to pay), tutoyer (to address
someone in the tu form), and vouvoyer (to address someone in the vous form).
*The verb envoyer in the future and conditional stem changes to enverr-.
Être (to be)
Present Participle: étant; Imperative: sois, soyons, soyez
Present Indicative: suis, es, est, sommes, êtes, sont
Passé Composé: ai été, as été, a été, avons été, avez été, ont été
Imperfect: étais, étais, était, étions, étiez, étaient
Pluperfect: avais été, avais été, avait été, avions été, aviez été, avaient été
Future: serai, seras, sera, serons, serez, seront
Fut. Perfect: aurai été, auras été, aura été, aurons été, aurez été, auront été
Conditional: serais, serais, serait, serions, seriez, seraient
Past Cond.: aurais été, aurais été, aurait été, aurions été, auriez été, auraient été
Subjunctive: sois, sois, soit, soyons, soyez, soient
Past Subj.: aie été, aies été, ait été, ayons été, ayez été, aient été
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Faire (to do, to make)
Present Participle: faisant; Imperative: fais, faisons, faites
Present Indicative: fais, fais, fait, faisons, faites, font
Passé Composé: ai fait, as fait, a fait, avons fait, avez fait, ont fait
Imperfect: faisais, faisais, faisait, faisions, faisiez, faisaient
Pluperfect: avais fait, avais fait, avait fait, avions fait, aviez fait, avaient fait
Future: ferai, feras, fera, ferons, ferez, feront
Fut. Perfect: aurai fait, auras fait, aura fait, aurons fait, aurez fait, auront fait
Conditional: ferais, ferais, ferait, ferions, feriez, feraient
Past Cond.: aurais fait, aurais fait, aurait fait, aurions fait, auriez fait, auraient fait
Subjunctive: fasse, fasses, fasse, fassions, fassiez, fassent
Past Subj.: aie fait, aies fait, ait fait, ayons fait, ayez fait, aient fait
Lire (to read)
Present Participle: lisant; Imperative: lis, lisons, lisez
Present Indicative: lis, lis, lit, lisons, lisez, lisent
Passé Composé: ai lu, as lu, a lu, avons lu, avez lu, ont lu
Imperfect: lisais, lisais, lisait, lisions, lisiez, lisaient
Pluperfect: avais lu, avais lu, avait lu, avions lu, aviez lu, avaient lu
Future: lirai, liras, lira, lirons, lirez, liront
Fut. Perfect: aurai lu, auras lu, aura lu, aurons lu, aurez lu, auront lu
Conditional: lirais, lirais, lirait, lirions, liriez, liraient
Past Cond.: aurais lu, aurais lu, aurait lu, aurions lu, auriez lu, auraient lu
Subjunctive: lise, lises, lise, lisions, lisiez, lisent
Past Subj.: aie lu, aies lu, ait lu, ayons lu, ayez lu, aient lu
Verbs conjugated like lire include élire (to elect) and relire (to reread).
Mettre (to put, to put on, to place)
Present Participle: mettant; Imperative: mets, mettons, mettez
Present Indicative: mets, mets, met, mettons, mettez, mettent
Passé Composé: ai mis, as mis, a mis, avons mis, avez mis, ont mis
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Imperfect: mettais, mettais, mettait, mettions, mettiez, mettaient
Pluperfect: avais mis, avais mis, avait mis, avions mis, aviez mis, avaient mis
Future: mettrai, mettras, mettra, mettrons, mettrez, mettront
Fut. Perfect: aurai mis, auras mis, aura mis, aurons mis, aurez mis, auront mis
Conditional: mettrais, mettrais, mettrait, mettrions, mettriez, mettraient
Past Cond.: aurais mis, aurais mis, aurait mis, aurions mis, auriez mis, auraient mis
Subjunctive: mette, mettes, mette, mettions, mettiez, mettent
Past Subj.: aie mis, aies mis, ait mis, ayons mis, ayez mis, aient mis
Verbs conjugated like mettre include admettre (to admit), commettre (to commit),
compromettre (to compromise), promettre (to promise), remettre (to put something
on again, to put something back), soumettre (to submit), and transmettre (to transmit).
Ouvrir (to open)
Present Participle: ouvrant; Imperative: ouvre, ouvrons, ouvrez
Present Indicative: ouvre, ouvres, ouvre, ouvrons, ouvrez, ouvrent
Passé Composé: ai ouvert, as ouvert, a ouvert, avons ouvert, avez ouvert, ont ouvert
Imperfect: ouvrais, ouvrais, ouvrait, ouvrions, ouvriez, ouvraient
Pluperfect: avais ouvert, avais ouvert, avait ouvert, avions ouvert, aviez ouvert,
avaient ouvert
Future: ouvrirai, ouvriras, ouvrira, ouvrirons, ouvrirez, ouvriront
Fut. Perfect: aurai ouvert, auras ouvert, aura ouvert, aurons ouvert, aurez ouvert,
auront ouvert
Conditional: ouvrirais, ouvrirais, ouvrirait, ouvririons, ouvririez, ouvriraient
Past Cond.: aurais ouvert, aurais ouvert, aurait ouvert, aurions ouvert, auriez ouvert,
auraient ouvert
Subjunctive: ouvre, ouvres, ouvre, ouvrions, ouvriez, ouvrent
Past Subj.: aie ouvert, aies ouvert, ait ouvert, ayons ouvert, ayez ouvert, aient ouvert
Verbs conjugated like ouvrir include accueillir (to welcome), couvrir (to cover), cueillir
(to pick, to gather), découvrir (to discover), offrir (to offer), recouvrer (to recover), and
souffrir (to suffer).
Partir (to leave)
Present Participle: partant; Imperative: pars, partons, partez
Present Indicative: pars, pars, part, partons, partez, partent
Passé Composé: suis parti(e), es parti(e), est parti(e), sommes partis(es), êtes
parti(s)(e)(es), sont partis(es)
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Imperfect: partais, partais, partait, partions, partiez, partaient
Pluperfect: étais parti(e), étais parti(e), était parti(e), étions partis(es), étiez
parti(s)(e)(es), étaient partis(es)
Future: partirai, partiras, partira, partirons, partirez, partiront
Fut. Perfect: serai parti(e), seras parti(e), sera parti(e), serons partis(es), serez
parti(s)(e)(es), seront partis(es)
Conditional: partirais, partirais, partirait, partirions, partiriez, partiraient
Past Cond.: serais parti(e), serais parti(e), serait parti(e), serions partis(es), seriez
parti(s)(e)(es), seraient partis(es)
Subjunctive: parte, partes, parte, partions, partiez, partent
Past Subj.: sois parti(e), sois parti(e), soit parti(e), soyons partis(es), soyez
parti(s)(e)(es), soient partis(es)
Verbs conjugated like partir include consentir* (to consent), dormir* (to sleep),
s’endormir (to fall asleep), mentir* (to lie), repartir (to leave again), ressentir*
(to feel), se sentir (to feel, as in well or unwell), sentir* (to smell, to feel, to taste),
servir* (to serve), and sortir (to go out). *These verbs are conjugated with avoir.
Pouvoir (to be able to)
Present Participle: pouvant; Imperative: No imperative form
Present: peux, peux, peut, pouvons, pouvez, peuvent
Passé Composé: ai pu, as pu, a pu, avons pu, avez pu, ont pu
Imperfect: pouvais, pouvais, pouvait, pouvions, pouviez, pouvaient
Pluperfect: avais pu, avais pu, avait pu, avions pu, aviez pu, avaient pu
Future: pourrai, pourras, pourra, pourrons, pourrez, pourront
Fut. Perfect: aurai pu, auras pu, aura pu, aurons pu, aurez pu, auront pu
Conditional: pourrais, pourrais, pourrait, pourrions, pourriez, pourraient
Past Cond.: aurais pu, aurais pu, aurait pu, aurions pu, auriez pu, auraient pu
Subjunctive: puisse, puisses, puisse, puissions, puissiez, puissent
Past Subj.: aie pu, aies pu, ait pu, ayons pu, ayez pu, aient pu
Prendre (to take)
Present Participle: prenant; Imperative: prends, prenons, prenez
Present Indicative: prends, prends, prend, prenons, prenez, prennent
Passé Composé: ai pris, as pris, a pris, avons pris, avez pris, ont pris
Imperfect: prenais, prenais, prenait, prenions, preniez, prenaient
Pluperfect: avais pris, avais pris, avait pris, avions pris, aviez pris, avaient pris
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Future: prendrai, prendras, prendra, prendrons, prendrez, prendront
Fut. Perfect: aurai pris, auras pris, aura pris, aurons pris, aurez pris, auront pris
Conditional: prendrais, prendrais, prendrait, prendrions, prendriez, prendraient
Past Cond.: aurais pris, aurais pris, aurait pris, aurions pris, auriez pris, auraient pris
Subjunctive: prenne, prennes, prenne, prenions, preniez, prennent
Past Subj.: aie pris, aies pris, ait pris, ayons pris, ayez pris, aient pris
Verbs conjugated like prendre include apprendre (to learn), comprendre (to understand), entreprendre (to undertake), reprendre (to recapture), and surprendre
(to surprise).
Recevoir (to receive)
Present Participle: recevant; Imperative: reçois, recevons, recevez
Present Indicative: reçois, reçois, reçoit, recevons, recevez, reçoivent
Passé Composé: ai reçu, as reçu, a reçu, avons reçu, avez reçu, ont reçu
Imperfect: recevais, recevais, recevait, recevions, receviez, recevaient
Pluperfect: avais reçu, avais reçu, avait reçu, avions reçu, aviez reçu, avaient reçu
Future: recevrai, recevras, recevra, recevrons, recevrez, recevront
Fut. Perfect: aurai reçu, auras reçu, aura reçu, aurons reçu, aurez reçu, auront reçu
Conditional: recevrais, recevrais, recevrait, recevrions, recevriez, recevraient
Past Cond.: aurais reçu, aurais reçu, aurait reçu, aurions reçu, auriez reçu, auraient reçu
Subjunctive: reçoive, reçoives, reçoive, recevions, receviez, reçoivent
Past Subj.: aie reçu, aies reçu, ait reçu, ayons reçu, ayez reçu, aient reçu
Verbs conjugated like recevoir include apercevoir (to perceive, to notice), concevoir
(to conceive), and décevoir (to disappoint).
Rire (to laugh)
Present Participle: riant; Imperative: ris, rions, riez
Present Indicative: ris, ris, rit, rions, riez, rient
Passé Composé: ai ri, as ri, a ri, avons ri, avez ri, ont ri
Imperfect: riais, riais, riait, riions, riiez, riaient
Pluperfect: avais ri, avais ri, avait ri, avions ri, aviez ri, avaient ri
Future: rirai, riras, rira, rirons, rirez, riront
Fut. Perfect: aurai ri, auras ri, aura ri, aurons ri, aurez ri, auront ri
Conditional: rirais, rirais, rirait, ririons, ririez, riraient
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Past Cond.: aurais ri, aurais ri, aurait ri, aurions ri, auriez ri, auraient ri
Subjunctive: rie, ries, rie, riions, riiez, rient
Past Subj.: aie ri, aies ri, ait ri, ayons ri, ayez ri, aient ri
Verbs conjugated like rire include sourire (to smile).
Savoir (to know)
Present Participle: sachant; Imperative: sache, sachons, sachez
Present Indicative: sais, sais, sait, savons, savez, savent
Passé Composé: ai su, as su, a su, avons su, avez su, ont su
Imperfect: savais, savais, savait, savions, saviez, savaient
Pluperfect: avais su, avais su, avait su, avions su, aviez su, avaient su
Future: saurai, sauras, saura, saurons, saurez, sauront
Fut. Perfect: aurai su, auras su, aura su, aurons su, aurez su, auront su
Conditional: saurais, saurais, saurait, saurions, sauriez, sauraient
Past Cond.: aurais su, aurais su, aurait su, aurions su, auriez su, auraient su
Subjunctive: sache, saches, sache, sachions, sachiez, sachent
Past Subj.: aie su, aies su, ait su, ayons su, ayez su, aient su
Venir (to come)
Present Participle: venant; Imperative: viens, venons, venez
Present Indicative: viens, viens, vient, venons, venez, viennent
Passé Composé: suis venu(e), es venu(e), est venu(e), sommes venus(es), êtes
venu(s)(e)(es), ils/elles sont venus(es)
Imperfect: venais, venais, venait, venions, veniez, venaient
Pluperfect: étais venu(e), étais venu(e), était venu(e), étions venus(es), étiez
venu(s)(e)(es), étaient venus(es)
Future: viendrai, viendras, viendra, viendrons, viendrez, viendront
Fut. Perfect: serai venu(e), seras venu(e), sera venu(e), serons venus(es), serez
venu(s)(e)(es), seront venus(es)
Conditional: viendrais, viendrais, viendrait, viendrions, viendriez, viendraient
Past Cond.: serais venu(e), serais venu(e), serait venu(e), serions venus(es), seriez
venu(s)(e)(es), seraient venus(es)
Subjunctive: vienne, viennes, vienne, venions, veniez, viennent
Past Subj.: sois venu(e), sois venu(e), soit venu(e), soyons venus(es), soyez
venu(s)(e)(es), soient venus(es)
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Verbs conjugated like venir include convenir (to be suitable), devenir (to become),
intervenir (to intervene), parvenir (to reach, to manage), revenir (to come back), se
souvenir (to remember), and survenir (to occur, to arise).
Voir (to see)
Present Participle: voyant; Imperative: vois, voyons, voyez
Present Indicative: vois, vois, voit, voyons, voyez, voient
Passé Composé: ai vu, as vu, a vu, avons vu, avez vu, ont vu
Imperfect: voyais, voyais, voyait, voyions, voyiez, voyaient
Pluperfect: avais vu, avais vu, avait vu, avions vu, aviez vu, avaient vu
Future: verrai, verras, verra, verrons, verrez, verront
Fut. Perfect: aurai vu, auras vu, aura vu, aurons vu, aurez vu, auront vu
Conditional: verrais, verrais, verrait, verrions, verriez, verraient
Past Cond.: aurais vu, aurais vu, aurait vu, aurions vu, auriez vu, auraient vu
Subjunctive: voie, voies, voie, voyions, voyiez, voient
Past Subj.: aie vu, aies vu, ait vu, ayons vu, ayez vu, aient vu
Verbs conjugated like voir include entrevoir (to catch a glimpse of), prévoir (to foresee),
and revoir (to see again).
Vouloir (to want)
Present Participle: voulant; Imperative: veuille, veuillons, veuillez
Present Indicative: veux, veux, veut, voulons, voulez, veulent
Passé Composé: ai voulu, as voulu, a voulu, avons voulu, avez voulu, ont voulu
Imperfect: voulais, voulais, voulait, voulions, vouliez, voulaient
Pluperfect: avais voulu, avais voulu, avait voulu, avions voulu, aviez voulu, avaient voulu
Future: voudrai, voudras, voudra, voudrons, voudrez, voudront
Fut. Perfect: aurai voulu, auras voulu, aura voulu, aurons voulu, aurez voulu, auront
voulu
Conditional: voudrais, voudrais, voudrait, voudrions, voudriez, voudraient
Past Cond.: aurais voulu, aurais voulu, aurait voulu, aurions voulu, auriez voulu,
auraient voulu
Subjunctive: veuille, veuilles, veuille, voulions, vouliez, veuillent
Past Subj.: aie voulu, aies voulu, ait voulu, ayons voulu, ayez voulu, aient voulu
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Index
•A•
•C•
à (preposition), 10, 104
acheter (to buy), 33, 269
adjectives, present participle
as, 70
adverbs, modifying actions
with, 23–24
aller à (to go to), 103–104,
269–270
aller (to go), 12, 44, 101,
105–106, 219
amener (to bring someone
somewhere), 252
answering questions, 79–86, 202
appeler (to call), 270
apporter (to bring something),
253
arriver (to arrive), 184
articles, 63, 104
assister à (to attend), 253–254
attending, 254
attendre (to wait for),
91, 245, 254
auxiliary verbs, 11, 72–73, 133.
See also avoir (to have);
être (to be)
avoir (to have)
complete list of conjugations,
270–271
expressions formed with,
113–115
forming passé composé,
133–134, 139, 144, 146
forming past conditional,
201, 202
forming past subjunctive,
237, 238
future perfect, 184
imperative, 93
imperfect, 148
passé simple, 165
past participle, 135
present, 44
present participle, 70, 73
present subjunctive, 220
carrying, 253
-cer endings, 31–32, 125
chercher (to look for), 245
commands, forming
as imperative mood, 12
irregular verbs, 92–94
negative, 94–95
pronominal verbs, 95–96
regular verbs, 89–91
commencer (to begin), 31, 125,
271–272
compound tenses, 13
conditional mood, 12, 191–197
conduire (to drive), 272
conjugations. See present tense
connaître (to know people,
places, things), 109, 110,
250, 272–273
could have/would have (past
conditional tense), 201–206
could/would (present
conditional tense), 191–197
craindre (to fear), 56, 273
croire (to believe), 56, 157, 216,
273–274
•B•
boire (to drink), 55, 165, 215, 271
boot verbs, 215–217
bringing someone versus
bringing something, 252–253
•D•
de (preposition), 10, 102–103,
104
demander (to ask), 246–247
dépenser (to spend money),
250
devoir (to have to, must),
12, 46, 157, 217, 274
dire (to say), 54, 166, 274
•E•
e (unaccented), 32–33
é (e with accent aigu), 34, 134
écouter (to listen to), 246
écrire (to write), 54, 275
elle, elles (she, it, they), 14, 80
emmener (to take someone
along), 252
emporter (to take something
along, to take out food), 253
en (some, any, from there, of
them), 98
en (to, while, by, upon, etc.), 71
-er verb conjugations. See also
parler (to speak)
passé composé, 134
passé simple, 164
present, 18–20
espérer (to hope), 34, 275
essayer (to try), 36, 217, 276
est-ce que?, 79
-eter and -eler endings, as
spelling-change verbs, 35
être en train de, 129
être (to be)
complete list of conjugations,
276
future perfect, 184
imperative, 93
imperfect, 121, 126, 148
passé composé, 140–142
passé simple, 165
past conditional, 201, 202
past subjunctive, 237, 238
present, 44
present participle, 70, 73
present subjunctive, 220
étudier (to study), 125, 202, 213
•F•
faire (to do, to make), 12, 44,
115–117, 219, 277
falloir (to have to), 157
faux amis (misleadingly similar
verbs), 254
finir (to finish)
future, 174
future perfect, 184
imperative, 90
imperfect, 122
passé composé, 134
passé simple, 164
present, 20
present conditional, 192
present subjunctive, 212
future perfect tense, 183–188
future tense
expressions used with,
179–180
forming, 173–178
immediate, 101–102
variations from English usage,
178–179
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•G•
geographical locations’ gender,
106
-ger endings, 29–30, 125
gerunds, 12, 71–72
•H•
habitual actions. See imperfect
tense
helping verbs, 11, 12, 45–46
hypothetical situations, 12, 130,
191, 196–197
•I•
idiomatic pronominal verbs,
65–67
il est. . . (it is. . .), 11
il faut. . . (it is. . .), 11
il, ils (he, it, they), 14, 80
imperative mood, 12. See also
commands, forming
imperfect tense. See also past
tense
common expressions, 127
compared to passé composé,
153–159
definition, 121
in hypothetical sentences,
203, 204
irregular verbs, 123–126
regular verbs, 121–123
using, 126–130
impersonal verbs, 11
indicative mood, 12
indirect discourse, 197
infinitive mood, 12, 83–84, 85
infinitives
endings for, 17
immediate future tense,
101–102
immediate past tense, 102
negative, 85–86
interrupted actions, 129
intransitive verbs, 8–9, 245,
246–247
inversion of subject and verb
(interrogatory), 79–83
-ir verb conjugations. See also
finir (to finish)
irregular -er-like forms, 49–50
irregular “pseudo” forms,
47–48
irregular stems, 50–51
passé composé, 134
passé simple, 164
present, 20–21
irregular verbs. See also specific
tenses; specific verbs
commonly used, 43–44
definition, 8
future, 177–178
imperative, 92–94
miscellaneous, 55–57
passé composé, 135–138
passé simple, 164–167
present conditional, 194–195
present subjunctive, 218–220
useful groupings, 47–55
it is (il est and il faut), 11
•J•
•N•
ne . . . pas, placement of, 83–84,
85–86, 102, 186, 202
negative
future perfect, 185
of infinitives, 85–86
by inversion, 85
passé composé, 147–148
past conditional, 202
responding in, 83–84
n’est-ce pas?, 79
nouns, gerunds and participles,
70, 71
nous (we, us, to us), 90, 97
•O•
je (I), 13
jeter (to throw), 35
jouer (to play), 111–112, 251
obéir (to obey), 247
on (one), 14, 80
orders, requests, directives.
See commands, forming
ouvrir (to open), 49, 278
•K•
•P•
knowing, 250–251
parler (to speak)
future, 174
imperative, 90
imperfect, 122
passé antérieur, 168
passé composé, 134
passé simple, 164
present, 18
present conditional, 192
present subjunctive, 212
participles, as adjectives, 12
partir (to leave)
complete list of conjugations,
278–279
examples, 251
passé antérieur, 168
passé composé, 142
past conditional, 202
past subjunctive, 238
present, 48
passé antérieur, 167–168
passé composé
agreement of past participle,
138–140, 142
compared to imperfect,
153–159
forming, 133–138
forming with either avoir or
être, 146–147
•L•
la (her/it), 97
laisser (to leave alone, to leave
something behind, or to
allow), 12, 251
laver (to wash something or
someone), 62
le (him/it), 97
leading, 252
leaving, 251
les (them, to them), 97
leur (to them), 97
linking verbs, 11
lire (to read), 54, 92, 277
lui (to him/her), 97
“ly” words. See adverbs
•M•
manger (to eat), 30, 125
me (me, to me), 97
mener (to lead), 252
mettre (to put, to place),
53, 277–278
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forming with être, 140–142
forming with pronominal
verbs, 143–145
interrogatorial inversion, 82
making negative, 147–148
when to use, 133
passé simple, 163–167
passer (to spend time doing...
or to take an exam), 250
past conditional tense, 201–206
past participle
agreement with object,
138–140
forming, 133–137
forming passé simple from,
164–166
for past conditional, 201–202
past subjunctive tense, 237–240
past tense. See also imperfect
tense; passé composé
immediate, 102–103
passé antérieur, 167–168
passé simple, 163–167
past conditional, 201–206
pluperfect, 133, 148, 148–149
payer (to pay), 246
penser (to think of, to think
about), 253–254
perfect subjunctive tense, 237
permettre (to allow), 247
personal mood verbs, 12
playing games versus
instruments, 251
pluperfect tense, 133, 148,
148–149, 203, 204
porter (to wear, to carry
something), 253
pouvoir (to be able to), 12, 46,
157, 219, 279
prendre (to take), 52, 92, 215,
279–280
prepositions
articles with, 10, 104
with avoir (to have), 114
with faire (to do, to make),
115–117
with jouer (to play), 111–112
used for going and coming, 106
present conditional tense,
191–197
present participle, 69–71, 72–73
present subjunctive tense
compared to past subjunctive,
239–240
considering indefinite,
doubtful, or subjective
antecedents, 231–232
criteria for using, 223
expressing condition, time,
concession, and
consequence, 229–231
expressing doubt or
uncertainty, 227–228
expressing emotion or
judgment, 225–227
expressing opinion,
necessity, and possibility,
228–229
expressing will, wish,
preference, and command,
224–225
idiomatic expressions and
commands, 232–233
irregular verbs, 218–220
regular irregular verbs,
213–214
regular verbs, 211–213
stem change verbs, 215–217
present tense
-er verb conjugations, 18–20
in hypothetical sentences,
203, 204
-ir verb conjugations, 20–21
-re verb conjugations, 21–23
varieties of meaning, 17
pronominal verbs
definition, 8, 61
idiomatic, 65–67
immediate future, 101
in immediate past tense,
102–103
imperative, 95–96
imperfect, 122
interrogatorial inversion,
81–82
matching subject, 72–73
passé composé, 143–145
past subjunctive, 237, 238
placement of ne . . . pas,
83–84, 95
reciprocal, 64–65
reflexive, 61–63
pronouns, 13, 96–97, 97,
138–139, 143, 144–145
•Q•
questions, asking and
answering, 79–86, 202
quitter (to leave a place or
person), 251
•R•
ramener (to bring someone
back), 252
rapporter (to bring something
back), 253
-re verb conjugations. See also
vendre (to sell)
irregular forms, 51–52, 54–55
passé composé, 134
passé simple, 164
present, 21–23
recevoir (to receive),
56, 216, 280
reciprocal pronominal verbs,
64–65
reciprocal verbs, 8
reflexive pronominal verbs,
61–63
reflexive pronouns, 61–62
reflexive verbs, 8
regarder (to look at, to watch),
246
regret, missed opportunity,
expressing, 201, 203
regular verbs. See also specific
tenses; specific verbs
definition, 7
future, 173–174
gerunds, 71–72
imperative, 89–91
passé simple, 164
past participle, 73–74
present, 17–25
present conditional, 191–194
present participle, 69–70
present subjunctive, 211–213,
213–214
remmener (to take someone
back), 252
remporter (to take back or to
take away), 253
rendre (to return something),
252
rendre visite à (to pay a
visit to), 249
rentrer (to return home), 252
répondre (to answer), 247
requests, directives, orders.
See commands, forming
retourner (to return), 252
returning home, returning
something, 252
revenir (to come back), 252
rire (to laugh), 280–281
285
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•S•
s’ and se reflexive verbs, 61–63
savoir (to know facts, how to
do something), 281
examples, 250
imperative, 93
imperfect versus passé
composé, 157
present, 110
present participle, 70
present subjunctive, 219
se coucher (to go to bed), 143
se laver (to wash oneself),
62, 143–144
se lever (to get up), 95, 202, 238
se promener (to take a walk/
a stroll), 122
se réveiller (to wake up), 185
second person pronouns, 13
semi-auxiliary verbs, 12
sentences, forming
with helping verbs plus
infinitives, 46–47
with subject, verb, and
adverb, 24–25, 38–39
s’habiller (to dress oneself/
to get dressed), 62, 95
si (if)
with imperfect, 130, 196–197,
203, 204
for past conditional, 203–206
with pluperfect, 148, 203, 204
with present, 203, 204
for present conditional,
196–197
simultaneity, expressing, 129
spelling-change verbs
-cer endings, 31–32
definition, 7, 29
e as mute or silent, 32–33
é in second to last
syllable, 34
-eter and -eler endings, 35
future, 175–176
-ger endings, 29–30, 125
present conditional, 193–194
singular and plural, 13
when to use, 13
-yer endings, 36–37, 193, 217
spending time versus money,
250
stem change verbs, present
subjunctive, 215–217
subject-verb inversion
(interrogatory), 79–83
subjunctive mood. See also
present subjunctive tense
definition, 12
past subjunctive tense,
237–240
suggestions and wishes,
expressing, 130, 191,
195–196
•T•
taking someone versus taking
(back) something, 252–253
te (you, to you), 97
téléphoner (to telephone,
to call), 247
tenses. See also specific tenses
simple and compound, 13
thinking or thinking about,
253–254
third person pronouns, 13
transitive verbs, 8–9, 245,
245–246
tu (familiar you), 90
•V•
vendre (to sell)
future, 174
imperfect, 122
passé composé, 134
passé simple, 164
present, 22
present conditional, 192
present subjunctive, 212
venir de (to come back from),
104
venir (to come), 281–282
immediate future tense,
102, 105–106
immediate past tense, 102
passé simple, 167
present, 50
present subjunctive, 216
verbs. See also irregular verbs
classifying, 8–11
ten most frequently
mistranslated,
249–254
ten most frequently misused
as transitive or intransitive,
245–247
transitive and intransitive,
8–9
types, 7–8
verbs, English-to-French
glossary, 263–268
verbs, French-to-English
glossary, 257–262
visiting places versus persons,
249
voir (to see), 56, 238, 282
vouloir (to want, to want to),
12, 46, 93, 157, 219, 282
vous (formal you, to you),
90, 97
vowels, separating with t, 80
•W•
waiting for, 254
wishes and suggestions,
expressing, 130, 191,
195–196
•Y•
y (there, in it), 98
-yer endings, 36–37, 193, 217
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